‘It’s our time to shine’

NIBA’s 2024 young broker of the year Emily-Rose Srbinovska on her ‘true calling’, and the challenge facing the next generation

By Jan McCallum

The insurance industry has become more receptive to the voices of younger professionals, but to attract more of them it must continue promoting the social good it does, according to 2024 NIBA young insurance broker of the year Emily-Rose Srbinovska.

Mrs Srbinovska is passionate about encouraging younger people into the industry and says it can answer the yearning many have for a career with social purpose.

She says the industry can show that insurance protects people, but it has to deliver the message earlier.

“Many younger people want meaningful work, and that is in the client relationships, but you don’t get that until a couple of years into your career. You do need to learn the technology and administration. We need to show the meaningful work upfront.”

She feels the industry can be pigeonholed as “just finance”, when so much of it is about talking to clients, and brokers and insurers working together.

Although there have been many technological and administrative advances since she began her insurance career 18 years ago, Mrs Srbinovska says the essence of the job is serving clients and communication, and that is the message that will inspire young talent.

The considerable amount of charitable work performed by brokers and insurers provides another drawcard for people deciding on a career.

“At the core of every capable insurance professional is that they are generous, and that’s why we do so much great charity work. We want to create, serve and protect, and give back,” Mrs Srbinovska tells Insurance News. “There is a lot of space for the next generation in the industry.”

She enjoys mentoring and is often contacted for advice via Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. “I have been trying to create a voice that younger people will listen to. I have so many messages from people across Australia, such as from younger women studying accounting who ask me how to get into the industry.”

She is also approached by professionals who love the industry but not their jobs, and who are looking for someone to steer them to another pathway.

Mrs Srbinovska is based in Canberra, where she is senior account manager for AEI Insurance Broking Group and ACT president of Young Insurance Professionals Australia and New Zealand.

As a NIBA NSW/ACT divisional committee member, she was one of the drivers of the recently formed Canberra branch and continues to be involved in events with YIPs. She is also chair of the ACT Insurance Ball, held in May.

“I wanted to bring NIBA to my region. ACT had not had any NIBA events for about 10 years and did not have a divisional committee.

“I wanted to be able to show younger professionals what behind-the-scenes insurance work is like.”

The Canberra events have had capacity attendance, which she says shows regional professionals want to connect, learn and promote the industry.

Her advice to young workers is to “pick up the phone, go to events, network. There is so much opportunity to learn by osmosis – to just be among colleagues and peers. Be curious and ask questions, make opportunities to advocate for yourself.”

Mrs Srbinovska says people should not be afraid to seek help from a trusted mentor such as a manager or direct report. She wishes she had been confident enough to do so earlier in her career.

She has seen the industry become more welcoming to younger people, and to women, with senior players keen to hear their views. Becoming young broker of the year has allowed her to meet senior members of the industry and YP alumni.

She and the regional young broker winners participated in a leadership development program created by Vero, which sponsored the award in partnership with NIBA. The program involved selecting an area affected by a weather event and presenting a case for funding to assist the community.

Mrs Srbinovska says it showed the strength of community and what the group could achieve by working together. It also demonstrated insurance’s impact in helping communities recover after claims have closed. The regional winners have set up a group chat and talk regularly.

The award has also taken her on a journey of speaking engagements and networking. She has addressed events in Wollongong, Sydney and Canberra, talking about career pathways and entry points.

As a mother of girls aged three and five, she says finding time can be challenging, but she wants to continue mentoring others.

Gathering information to support her award nomination caused Mrs Srbinovska to reflect upon her career, and to consider what she could achieve with the accolade.

She says she has had to learn to advocate for herself and become confident in explaining her skills and capability.

She has worked from the age of 14, when she was legally allowed to be employed and went to her local shopping centre to hand out her résumé.

Insurance was her first “real job”, joining CGU as an assistant underwriter and dealing with hard copy filing. She remembers wheeling the file trolley around the underwriters’ desks.

As soon as she got on the phone and talked to brokers and clients, she realised the complexity of the work and was drawn to being an underwriter. When a job came up within a few months, she applied. “They said they wanted someone with a little bit more experience, but I said I am really eager to learn and what I lack in technology skills I make up for in effort.”

She got the position. Three years later she moved to Allianz, where she feels her technical skills evolved and she gained experience in people management and new business lines. She crossed into broking after being told: “We’re looking for someone who gives the service you give to us.”

After eight years in broking she says: “I feel this is where I have found my true calling. I want to stay hands on in broking and ‘work on the tools’, as I love working with clients and talking to the insurers.”

Her message for younger professionals is: “Now is our time to shine, because we have a voice to shape the industry.”

Mrs Srbinovska says their challenge is to use emerging technology to enhance the service they provide.

“Human relationships are the cornerstone of everything we do and now I feel it is my obligation and responsibility to share that broking is as much about this as it is about technical knowledge.”