Helping to build community appreciation of the role brokers play in the insurance industry is just one of the challenges that new National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) President David Duffield wants to work on over the next two years.

Mr Duffield was elected last week to replace Aon’s Steve Lardner, who has completed his presidential term.

He is a 37-year broking veteran, and has been Head of the Asia-Pacific Construction, Power & Utilities Practice at Marsh for the past three years.

He has spent most of his career at Marsh, holding a number of senior positions including CEO of Marsh Australia and COO for the Pacific Region business, and continues to act as the Marsh account chairman for a number of Australia’s largest companies.

Mr Duffield says the NIBA presidency is “a wonderful opportunity to give something back to the industry”.

“It’s important from my perspective to help enhance the image of broking and the wider industry,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “Our work should be understood and appreciated more.”

He says other challenges he’s looking forward to tackling revolve around recruitment and training.

“We need to attract young people to the industry and retain them,” he said. “I think the fact that the people who join the industry do by and large stay in it. That says a lot.”

He says he also wants to help build brokers’ professionalism through NIBA College.

“It’s really not enough to have the basic required qualifications,” he said. “More brokers should be undertaking advanced education courses, which are of course designed by brokers for brokers.

“It’s the key to professionalism.”

Mr Duffield says NIBA College has about 500 brokers undertaking training courses at present. “I’d like to see that increase to at least 1000.”