Australian Unity’s Mark Oliver has been announced as the risk store Life Risk Champion of the Year for 2011.
Mr Oliver is a practising financial adviser with over eleven years’ experience and is also National Manager – Risk Insurance for Australian Unity’s Personal Financial Services dealer group. He has been recognised by his peers for the outstanding contribution he has made to the life insurance industry and for the services he provides to risk insurance advisers and consumers in particular.
The announcement of this year’s winner was made by risk store Founder, Sue Laing, at the close of business on the first day of the risk store’s 2011 Annual Life Risk Forum, being held on Hamilton Island.
Ms Laing said Mr Oliver was held in high regard by many advisers around the country as well as by his colleagues and others within the industry. She added that this award was just recognition of the significant contribution Mr Oliver has made, and continues to make, to Australia’s life insurance community.
Following the presentation, Mr Oliver spoke of his pride in being this year’s recipient of the Life Risk Champion accolade, and that there was nothing better he can do in his professional life than continue to pursue his vocation in the life insurance industry.
Mr Oliver later recounted to riskinfo his own very personal experience in earlier years where a close family member passed away. This same event saw Mr Oliver experience the emotion of being a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, an experience that contributed to determining his future.
Mr Oliver is the fourth risk store Life Risk Champion of the Year. Previous winners of the Award have been:
- 2010: Fiona Navarro (MLC Risk Specialist Network)
- 2009: Peter Sobels(riskinfo)
- 2008: David Mico (Financial Services Council, formerly IFSA)
For those seeking to nominate their colleagues in 2012, the criteria on which the Life Risk Champion of the Year Award is based include:
- Identified as being associated with Life Risk issues in Australia
- Having a demonstrated enthusiasm and passion for Life Risk
- Having sound knowledge of the Life Risk industry in at least one significant area
- Having the will and capacity to influence and initiate welcome or necessary change and new ideas
- Having some kind of recognisable, direct or indirect distribution influence (doesn’t necessarily need to work in distribution)
- Contributing by their actions and/or role to the education of stakeholders, which could include:
- Advisers
- Licensee principals
- Consumers
- Insurers
- Regulators
- Associations
