{"id":80685,"date":"2026-01-12T13:52:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T02:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/?p=80685"},"modified":"2026-01-19T14:26:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T03:26:02","slug":"profiles-pps-mutual-awards-finalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/2026\/01\/12\/profiles-pps-mutual-awards-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"PPS Mutual Awards: Finalists Profiles \u2013 Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first of three features profiling firms shortlisted to win the inaugural PPS Mutual Risk Practice of the Year Award<\/a> we look at Hewison Private Wealth<\/a> and Hood Sweeney<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The winner will be announced ahead of the Riskinfocus 26 Risk Advice CPD Tour<\/a>, and will be invited to part take part in Q&A sessions at each of the six Riskinfocus 26 events nationwide.<\/p>\n

Hewison Private Wealth<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hewison Private Wealth began trading in 1985 adopting a fee-for-service model from the get-go. That approach still defines the business today.<\/p>\n

The firm\u2019s insurance philosophy sits at the heart of its offering. Rather than treating insurance as an add-on, Hewison integrates wealth protection into each client\u2019s broader financial plan as part of its structured, forward-looking review system.<\/p>\n

The firm, based in Victoria, conducts annual assessments of clients\u2019 policies, actively reducing or adjusting cover as their financial position strengthens, and\u00a0 highlights trust and accountability as foundations of its client relationships.<\/p>\n

It was the start of something special within the business…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Marcus
Marcus English<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With 19 experienced advisers, two trainee advisers, and an internal Head of Compliance, Hewison says recent audits \u2013 internal and via Third Line \u2013 have rated the firm \u201chighly compliant\u201d.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Marcus English<\/strong>, the firm\u2019s Head of Insurance, said in his entry submission that John Hewison<\/strong> had a vision well ahead of its time in adopting a fee for advice model.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty-two years in, the business wanted to make personal insurance part of that journey,\u201d said English. \u201cSomething that had rarely been done, if at all to that date. It was the start of something special within the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hood Sweeney<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hood Sweeney has operated a specialist risk-insurance arm since 2002, running independently within the broader Hood Sweeney group.<\/p>\n

The practice\u2019s focus is providing life insurance advice and claims support, acting as a long-term partner to clients.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Hood Sweeney distinguishes itself through an advice model built around sustained engagement rather than one-off transactions.<\/p>\n

We are driven by the privilege of walking beside clients…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Mark
Mark Mullins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Internal peer reviews, rolling audits, and formal reporting to the board underpin the practice\u2019s governance.<\/p>\n

The firm values its long-term relationships, steady stewardship of clients\u2019 protection needs, and commitment to being \u201cin their corner\u201d when it matters most.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s Director, Mark Mullins<\/strong>, said in his submission that at its core, the practice is \u201cfuelled by advocacy \u2013 the belief that insurance is not about policies, but about protecting people and their futures\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Next week we\u2019ll be featuring two other shortlisted firms, Keyman Financial Services and MBS Insurance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":80693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,241],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-company-news","category-conferences-and-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}