Growth Lab

CEO Welcome
Justin Delaney, CEO, Zurich Australia and New Zealand

Join Justin as he shares his perspective on the key themes shaping the advice industry and what they mean for advisers. He will discuss Zurich’s ambition to become Australia’s leading digital insurer, provide an update on the proposed acquisition of ClearView, and explore the opportunities this creates for your practice and clients.
 

Keynote: Dean Boxall, Swimming Australia National Team Coach
From Planning to Performance: Building a Winning Framework

Dean Boxall and Zurich Business Development Manager, Trent McArdle, sit down for an action-packed Q&A, where Dean shares powerful insights drawn from the world stage, including the Pan Pacs, World Championships and Olympic Games. Through the lens of elite performance, Dean will share the key disciplines behind sustained success, covering goal setting, planning, motivation through the grind, and the ability to continually re-evaluate and evolve.

Framed around the natural cycle of growth, this session will connect high-performance sporting principles to the realities of running a successful advice business, offering you practical takeaways to help drive consistency, resilience and long-term success.

Adviser Panel – Hear from your peers
Practical Pre-Assessment Tips and Underwriting Outcome Conversations

Elizabeth Burke, Victorian State Manager – Underwriting, will host this panel discussion with three experienced financial advisers who share their insights on how to navigate underwriting with confidence. The panel will explore how to approach pre-assessments effectively, manage client expectations and position loadings and exclusions in a clear and constructive way. 

Buying and Selling Advice Practices
Fireside discussion with Steve Prendeville, Forte Asset Solutions

Steve Prendeville, Forte Asset Solutions, and Craig Hayes, Zurich Sales Strategy Lead, delve into the complexities of mergers and acquisitions. Together, they will unpack the key considerations when buying or selling financial advice practices, including the nuances of transacting risk books.

This session will help you gain a clearer understanding of the trends, challenges and strategic decisions shaping practice growth, succession and consolidation.
 

Adviser Panel – Hear from your peers
Evolving Insurance Philosophy: Frontline Perspectives

Adam Crabbe, Zurich Risk Strategy Specialist, will host a thought-provoking panel with a specialist adviser and leading reinsurer, exploring the need to establish and evolve a robust insurance philosophy. From real-world claims experiences and long-term care insights to shifting definitions of disability and product design, you'll see how frontline realities are reshaping advice methodologies and what needs to change to deliver more meaningful, sustainable client outcomes.