In the first of three features profiling firms shortlisted to win the inaugural PPS Mutual Risk Practice of the Year Award we look at Hewison Private Wealth and Hood Sweeney.
The winner will be announced ahead of the Riskinfocus 26 Risk Advice CPD Tour, and will be invited to part take part in Q&A sessions at each of the six Riskinfocus 26 events nationwide.
Hewison Private Wealth
Hewison Private Wealth began trading in 1985 adopting a fee-for-service model from the get-go. That approach still defines the business today.
The firm’s insurance philosophy sits at the heart of its offering. Rather than treating insurance as an add-on, Hewison integrates wealth protection into each client’s broader financial plan as part of its structured, forward-looking review system.
The firm, based in Victoria, conducts annual assessments of clients’ policies, actively reducing or adjusting cover as their financial position strengthens, and highlights trust and accountability as foundations of its client relationships.
It was the start of something special within the business…
With 19 experienced advisers, two trainee advisers, and an internal Head of Compliance, Hewison says recent audits – internal and via Third Line – have rated the firm “highly compliant”.
Staff describe claims support as both the hardest and most meaningful part of their work, moments when a long-planned strategy directly helps families through challenging times.
Marcus English, the firm’s Head of Insurance, said in his entry submission that John Hewison had a vision well ahead of its time in adopting a fee for advice model.
“Thirty-two years in, the business wanted to make personal insurance part of that journey,” said English. “Something that had rarely been done, if at all to that date. It was the start of something special within the business.”
Hood Sweeney
Hood Sweeney has operated a specialist risk-insurance arm since 2002, running independently within the broader Hood Sweeney group.
The practice’s focus is providing life insurance advice and claims support, acting as a long-term partner to clients.
That clarity of purpose, paired with a strong record of client advocacy, has helped earn the firm a place among the six businesses shortlisted for the PPS Mutual Risk Practice of the Year Award.
Hood Sweeney distinguishes itself through an advice model built around sustained engagement rather than one-off transactions.
We are driven by the privilege of walking beside clients…
The firm positions itself as an advocate when clients or their families need to lodge a claim, guiding them through the process to secure entitlements.
Over the past decade the practice has overseen more than $50m in paid claims, a result it sees as a measure of meaningful impact rather than commercial performance.
Internal peer reviews, rolling audits, and formal reporting to the board underpin the practice’s governance.
The firm values its long-term relationships, steady stewardship of clients’ protection needs, and commitment to being “in their corner” when it matters most.
The company’s Director, Mark Mullins, said in his submission that at its core, the practice is “fuelled by advocacy – the belief that insurance is not about policies, but about protecting people and their futures”.
“We are driven by the privilege of walking beside clients through some of the most challenging moments in their lives, ensuring that when they need support most, they are not left to face insurers alone,” he said.
Next week we’ll be featuring two other shortlisted firms, Keyman Financial Services and MBS Insurance.
