Australia
Having been in the industry for over 20 years, I have come to appreciate that great content is not just what reads well or breaks the news, but also; great content should engage our audiences and compel them to interact with our publications. There is a reason why some publications simply 'just exist' and why others break out to becoming the most respected of their kind in the industry.
News
Artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Merlynn is replicating the behaviours of top experts and thinkers at insurance and finance companies. Rather than replacing people, founder Carl Wöcke has devised a technology that requires their regular input to allow the best possible, most ethical decisions to be made at lightning speed.
2019 InsurTech Program of the Year winner CancerAid partnered with leading life insurers in Australia to pilot a cancer patient support service utilising the company's smartphone app and personal health coaches. The six-week program focused on recovery, exercise, diet, anxiety and symptoms, empowering insureds to take charge of their wellbeing.
Geoffrey Watson SC is perhaps best known for wrangling with the likes of NSW Labor power broker Eddie Obeid as Counsel Assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption. But his tort law expertise and extensive insurance liability background has also instilled in him a keen and specific interest in psychological injury.
New research for the iconic Dive In Festival confirms that a diverse workplace must also be inclusive for any business to reap the benefits of increased market share, productivity and innovation. While the insurance and risk industry has made gains, it's still a considerable challenge to retain people with diverse perspectives.
Noel Duncan's vision is to see people take charge of their health. His company SiSU Health has developed an interactive health technology station that promotes the behaviour change required to increase wellness and prevent chronic illness. He'll tell the 2019 Life Insurance Breakfast about the rich data collected and the opportunities.
Driven by its burgeoning economies, South-East Asia is experiencing a spate of ambitious infrastructure projects. But with construction works worth billions underway and trillions more in the pipeline, the risks are high. Distinguished insurance veteran John Peberdy will present construction insurance insights from the Australian perspective to four ASEAN nations in July.
iProperty Group CEO Georg Chmiel told this year's Property Portal Watch Conference in Bangkok its new real estate bot Rebecca is paving the future of real estate portals by collecting valuable data about buyers in the market.
Australian real estate agency startup Radley Property says the wealthy property portal industry could be more socially innovative in terms of philanthropy. Co-director Michael Radovnikovic tells PPW the billion dollar online real estate industry could learn from the fintech sector which has been actively contributing to the community using its disruptive business models rather than being solely profit-driven.
EXCLUSIVE: The New South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is the first in Australia to lay its hands on the latest award-winning fire fighting technology from German company Magirus For a cool sum in the vicinity of €250,000 (A$367,446), the New South Wales Fire and Rescue Service recently purchased an AirCore TH F20 fire fighting robot, released to the market in June.
Videos
Self-taught engineer Heath Rowe invented a simple but ingenious attachment for a combine harvester which is preventing fires, ANNA GAME-LOPATA went to Mungindi, New South Wales to check it out.
By: Anna Game-Lopata, Photography by: VIDEO BY: Andrew Britten Presented by Australia's largest extra virgin premium olive oil producer Boundary Bend Limited leads the world in the development of new harvesting technologies. Anna Game-Lopata was there for this year's harvest.
When tropical north Queensland sugar cane farmer Gerard Puglisi decided to diversify he did it big, becoming Australia's largest supplier of cocoa. Anna Game-Lopata catches up with him. Most growers have fields that are just a pain in the butt to harvest, or don't perform as well as the others.
Over 160 sugar cane growers from Ballina, NSW to Mossman in the tropical north of Queensland gathered at Palm Cove last week to attend the second Case IH Step Up Conference.
By: Anna Game-Lopata Presented by For fifth generation French vineyard owner Patrice Vocoret, continuous investment is a proud tradition. He's championing high-tech harvesting to produce his iconic Chablis. ANNA GAME-LOPATA enjoyed many samples. The Chablis wine growing region covers just 6,000 hectares and represents less than 100th of French vineyards.
By: Anna Game-Lopata, Photography by: Guy Allen, Video by: Guy Allen Presented by West Gippsland farmer Niels Olsen's Soilkee Renovator is the first of its kind. It seeds while aerating and mulching to regenerate soil life; increasing yields up to 45 per cent in one year. Anna Game-Lopata writes.
Bateman's Bay Oyster farmers Ewan and Kevin McAsh with business partner Mick Daw are revitalising the NSW oyster industry. Anna Game-Lopata caught up with one half of the McAsh team, Ewan to find out just how.
Feature
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 41 Issue: 3 | Oct 2018 A n estimated 15-20 per cent of the Australian population has at least one tattoo - and this percentage is growing. Meanwhile, New Zealand is the most tattooed country in the world, with a fifth of the population above the age of 18 sporting one or more tattoos.
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 42 Issue: 1 | Mar 2019 Reinsurers are still wary of providing capacity for cyber accumulation, but the challenges may not be insurmountable. Closing the protection gap is a powerful driver and oft-stated commitment for the reinsurance industry.
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 42 Issue: 1 | Mar 2019 The pros and cons of cash settlements When it comes to a natural disaster, cash settlements can deliver a speedy resolution to claims. But they can also spell trouble for the insured. Insurers have traditionally resisted settling a claim in cash.
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 42 Issue: 2 | Jul 2019 Harold and Donald Lim are the sort of close siblings who finish each other's sentences. They also helped each other learn the insurance game. Born and educated in Myanmar, Harold and Donald moved to Thailand in early adulthood in 1980.
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 41 Issue: 1 | Apr 2018 According to the Insurance Council of Australia's (ICA) Insurance Fraud Bureau of Australia (IFBA), a component of today's insurance premiums paid by honest policyholders covers the cost to the industry of general insurance fraud - a cost estimated to be more than one billion dollars a year excluding fraud and exaggerated claims in statutory schemes.
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 41 Issue: 1 | Apr 2018 Over the last decade in Australia, residential electricity prices have increased on top of inflation by 63 per cent. When you add in the impact of blackouts, it's not surprising that the market for solar technology is flourishing.
By Anna Game-Lopata | Vol: 41 Issue: 4 | Dec 2018 Despite the best efforts of brokers and claims professionals, sometimes the customer is unhappy with their service or the outcome. Here are some insights that might help.
Unless you have been a victim of farm theft, you might not understand just how devastating it can be. ANNA GAME-LOPATA investigates and realises farm theft is more prevalent than you think. The Australian Government's Institute of Criminology states crime in rural areas is increasing, with most incidents being in either highly accessible or very remote areas.
Tasmanian grower Will Bignell is combining his passion for flying, computer games and farming into an intriguing business that could ultimately benefit the whole sector.
As predicted, apparel retailer Speciality Fashion Group has won back its leading position on the Top 50 list, leaping from 15th spot to fifth, due in part to its remarkable culture.
Bakers Delight’s supply chain journey has taken it from a direct-to-store model to a one-stop-shop, but it settled on a two-tier system based on relationships with expert distributors and suppliers.
In the future competition will truly be between supply chains — as Amazon, dell and Unilever are demonstrating. Companies with the better supply chains will be the most successful, reports Anna Game-lopata