Vero NZ and NZI have tied for the Intermediated Insurer of the Year award at the New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards last week.

The award was determined by a survey of brokers. TNS, the independent research company conducting the poll, said it could not split the two insurers.

“It was a surprise to us and to most people in the room,” Insurance Brokers Association of New Zealand (IBANZ) CEO Gary Young told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “There was no difference between them in quality”.

Willis won the Large Broker award and Auckland-based ICIB won Small/Medium Broker. Sovereign was named Life Insurer of the Year, Cunningham Lindsey won the Claims Service Provider award and JB Hi-Fi won the Services Provider award.

AA Insurance was named Direct Insurer of the Year.

The group “has shown a strong customer-facing philosophy and a very systematic approach to servicing, retaining and building relationships with clients”, according to the judges.

The awards, in their sixth year, were hosted by IBANZ. The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance co-hosted the event for the first time.

Prizes were also presented to outstanding individuals: Damian Alexander of New Zealand Financial Brokers in Wellington won Broking Professional of the Year; Mikayla Pereira of QBE in Auckland won Emerging Professional of the Year; and John Lyon, Auckland-based Lumley NZ’s CEO, won Insurance Leader of the Year.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Alan Race of Crombie Lockwood in Dunedin. Judges praised Mr Race’s high professional standards, which have won him sustained market growth and strong customer satisfaction.

Some 450 industry leaders attended the ceremony at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland.