BT has won two awards – Youth Development Employer of the Year and Young Insurance Professional
of the Year for senior product technical manager Katherine Ashby – at the 12th annual Australian and
New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) awards in Sydney last night.
The Youth Development Employer of the Year award recognises a business’ commitment to the
employment and development of young professionals.
Phil Hay, head of life insurance at BT, said, ‘It’s an honour to be recognised as a leading employer for
youths. We have a strong business culture centred on sustainability, and this underpins the choices we
have made on our human resources initiatives.
‘From the graduate program onwards, we aim to build career paths for the long-term so we can retain
our young talent.
‘Around half of our workforce is under 35 years of age so it’s a priority for us to build an exceptional
workplace for young people. This in turn helps our business to keep delivering exceptional claims
service to clients and to continue innovating for the future.’
The Young Insurance Professional award recognises a young insurance professional who has
demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation and excellence.
Katherine Ashby, senior product technical manager, is known for her commitment to adviser education
and learning, and high level of service and professional expertise in life insurance.
Ms Ashby said, ‘It is an incredible honour to receive this award in an industry of passionate and
hardworking people. Insurance, particularly life insurance, is all or nothing. We’re in a privileged position to make an enormous difference in people’s lives. The words that are used by claimants like dignity, relief and peace of mind describe the vital function that we perform.
‘Working in life insurance gives me a higher purpose, and I’m fortunate to have found a career in which
I can experience that.’
Among Katherine’s many achievements is the launch of Australia’s first income protection for small
businesses – BT’s Key Person Income – of which she was instrumental in the identification and product
design. It has been widely recognised for its innovation, filling a gap in the business segment of the
Australian life insurance market.
Her involvement in industry representative bodies and industry professional development has made her
a leader in the life insurance industry.
‘Congratulations to Katherine,’ Mr Hay said. ‘She exemplifies the dedication and passion required of
future leaders to ensure the sustainability of the life insurance industry for years to come.’
BT was also named finalist in the Women’s Employer of the Year category.
Source: BT Financial Group
