Belinda Muir – General Counsel

Office: Melbourne

Joined Honan: August 2019

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A quote capturing your approach to your role

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“I love challenges. If you don't have any and can do whatever you want, then it's probably time to die” - Jean-Claude Van Damme.

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Tell us about yourself

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I came to Honan because I wanted to try something completely new. I’d been working ‘in house’ for a long time and I was drawn to this role because of the opportunity for a challenge.Outside of work, I love spending time with my kids. I’m a fan of yoga and swimming. I’m also a bit of a geek and I’ve been known to read legal textbooks in my free time! My office is full of textbooks brimming with notes!

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What does the General Counsel do?

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My role is about risk management. I’m an issue spotter and problem solver.

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What are 3 things you find most motivating about your role?

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• I learn something new every day
• I enjoy working with people who are experts in their fields and who bring a different perspective
• We have a really good coffee machine so I don’t need to leave the building for my caffeine fix…life would be perfect if we had biscuits as well.

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Biggest learning from your time at Honan?

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I’ve come to appreciate how much value a broker can add to the insurance and risk management process.

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Noteworthy trends?

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The Financial Services Royal Commission brought home the importance of businesses meeting community expectations. We are seeing more of a focus on the importance of corporate culture for effective risk management.  I’m hopeful we’ll see more and more businesses reward the right values and behaviours in line with what the community expects and really ‘walk the talk’.

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Recommended further reading / a great online resource?

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Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast – The Tortoise and the Hare episode… Amazing!

This episode takes a critical (and riveting) look at how the US legal system selects the next generation of legal minds. I am proud to be a tortoise!