Katherine Beards – Head of Client & Operations | Honan Life Insurance Group

Office: Melbourne

Joined Honan: July 2016

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A quote capturing your approach to your role

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"Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come." Dwayne Johnson

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Tell us about yourself

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Before joining the Honan family, I worked in Superannuation for 5 or so years. There is a lot of cross-over between these areas, so the switch to life insurance was fairly seamless. A personal experience made it abundantly clear to me the importance of having an adequate personal insurance safety net in place. This first-hand experience is where my passion stems from.Outside of work, I have a wonderful husband and two young boys who love basketball. You can usually find us having a game of 2v2 at the local courts on the weekend. I've also recently completed a Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning) which I've been working on part-time for the past 5 years, and I am thrilled to have achieved that!

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What does the Head of Client & Operations do?

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Together with the broader team, I work with Honan Life's financial advisers to ensure our processes are efficient and our compliance requirements are met. This involves overseeing the underwriting and implementation process and making sure all advice documentation reaches our clients in a compliant manner. I am responsible for the relationships we have with the insurers, which allows us to continue to deliver quality advice and outcomes to our clients.

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

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Having clients walk away in a better position than when they first came to us. This could mean saving on premiums or having a well-rounded, more comprehensive insurance portfolio to support them.Genuinely making a difference for our clients during times of vulnerability. We see this firsthand when a claim is paid out. The sense of pride that follows when the financial pressure is alleviated for a client (allowing them to focus on their recovery), is a true privilege.We have such a close-knit team with a wealth of experience, as well as a vibrant and positive culture, so every day is different!

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At Honan, our values form the foundations of our unique culture. What is your biggest learning from your time at Honan Life?

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It's refreshing to work for a company where our clients are at the forefront of everything we do. The drive to do better for our clients makes me incredibly proud to work at Honan.

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Your core focus for the year ahead at Honan Life?

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Empowering our team with additional tools and knowledge to further enhance our capabilities. I'll also be focused on fine-tuning our operational efficiency, resulting in better outcomes for our clients.

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Recommended further reading / a great online resources/a podcast?

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The Smiling Mind App is an excellent resource to have on hand for quick and easy meditation and mindfulness exercises.

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Meet our Operations Manager, Underwriting Facilities & Strata – Matthew Henderson