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I N S P I R AT I O N A L IN FINANCE + INSURANCE
dallas webster SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AON RISK SERVICES AUSTRALIA
Dallas Webster relishes her role as a senior account executive at the Townsville branch of Aon Australia – an insurance broking and risk management consultancy, which works with commercial, corporate and global clients. “I’ve been here 15 years now and every day is different,” Dallas, 33, enthuses. “You learn something new every day and no day is the same.” Despite her longevity in the business, insurance is something Dallas fell into. “I graduated from high school in 1997 and was in the process of going to university, but at the start of 1998, I applied for a position at a small agency. I thought it was in administration, but it happened to be in insurance. As Mum said at the time, ‘All you can do is give it a go’.” Dallas became “hooked” by the industry and worked her way up to account executive, moving from the former Haller Group – now Hallerwealth – to Aon when Haller’s general insurance arm was acquired by Aon in 2003. The mother-of-two says it was the “behind the scenes” of the insurance world that intrigued her, including “reading and understanding policy wordings and finding a solution that was best fitted for that client. My philosophy is no stone left unturned, because you never know when you will find that diamond.” In 2006, Dallas was promoted at age 26 to Townsville branch manager. “I was actually the youngest female branch manager for Aon in Australia at the time,” Dallas recalls. “To be given that position in such a large international organisation, managing staff and also our branch portfolio of business and operations, was definitely a career highlight.” Since then, Dallas has held the roles of business unit manager and business development manager. She now looks after the operations of the Townsville branch, as well as its large to medium-sized business clientele, including drilling operations, manufacturers, and professional firms. “Aon is not just general insurance. We also provide a suite of services such as valuations, people risk management and financial planning,” Dallas explains. “This allows the client to put all their eggs in one basket and provides a better solution.” Dallas proudly adds: “Our branch was awarded last year by Aon for being the top branch for operational excellence within Australia – a big thing for a regional office. This comes from exceptional leadership and a great team.”
Aon Risk Services Australia 26 Bowen Road, Rosslea Telephone 07 4759 8035 Email dallas.webster@aon.com www.aon.com.au
Outside of work, the former North Queensland Cowboys cheerleader enjoys quality time with her family, travel and dancing, and is a self-confessed shopaholic.
DUO MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 duomagazine.com.au 49