PROFILE
DUAL Australia DUAL Australia is a specialty lines underwriting agency focused on providing innovative insurance solutions to the mid market
(02) 9248 6300 ESTABLISHED
ewinwood@dualasiapacific.com
IN 2004, DUAL Australia specialises in providing exceptional underwriting and claims services for Accident and Health, Financial Lines, General Liability and Marine. We are the largest independent underwriting agency, and Lloyd’s largest coverholder, in Australia. Led by general manager Leo Abbruzzo, we have offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane and employ more than 100 people, including 59 underwriters and 8 claims handlers. We transact business with more than 900 brokers and over 1,400 authorised representatives right across Australia. Formed in 1998, our parent company DUAL International is the world’s largest international underwriting agency and Lloyd’s largest international coverholder. DUAL International has 31 offices across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, employing more than 400 people and servicing over 4,000 intermediaries in more than 100 countries. DUAL Australia is a true mid market business with over 40,000 policies transacted annually. This is split between business transacted via our online platform, the DUAL WebRater, and our branch underwriters. The WebRater, which is DUAL’s online trading platform, allows brokers to quote and bind policies for over 450 occupations all in a matter of minutes. Since establishment in 2010, the system has generated more than 200,000 quotes, with more than 4,500 brokers regularly using the system. This business is supported by 23 SME underwriters. Recognising the importance of personal negotiations with underwriters, our national team of branch underwriters is there to handle more complex, manually underwritten business.
www.dualaustralia.com.au
DAVINA SMITH, NATIONAL RELATIONSHIP MANAGER & SENIOR UNDERWRITER DAVINA SMITH, national relationship manager and senior underwriter at DUAL Australia, has been in the insurance industry for 18 years. After initially commencing her career in Premium Funding, Davina moved to London to work for a Lloyds Syndicate for five years before returning to Perth in 2005 to work as a Financial Lines broker. In 2009, Davina joined DUAL, and since then has spent seven years as a Financial Lines underwriter and relocated to Sydney. Late last year, Davina moved into a newly created role of national relationship manager and senior underwriter, in the National Business Unit (NBU). Together with the NBU team of 16, Davina’s role has been established to specifically focus on servicing and growing the rapidly expanding Authorised Representative (AR) groups. Given the unique nature of these brokers, which are predominantly single operator businesses with a broad spread across the country, DUAL has recognised the importance in providing dedicated focus to this area of the market. Since moving into the role, Davina has been working closely with each AR group to better understand how they work and ensure DUAL are providing the best service and education to the AR groups, whether this is via online training through webinars, regular communications, organising a DUAL representative to present at PD Days or general day-to-day underwriting
queries from brokers. Davina’s experience in broking and underwriting have been important in moving into a relationship management role, as she’s able to offer to brokers empathy and understanding of what clients are looking for, whilst also being able to have technical underwriting negotiations with brokers if need be. Davina is a determined young woman with a strong service ethic, which has been paramount throughout her career in insurance. Davina is looking forward to growing her relationships with the AR groups, as well as continuing to develop professionally.
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