Travis Wendt – Head of Corporate Insurance & Risk Solutions

Office: Melbourne

Time with Honan: 2 years

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A quote capturing your approach to your role

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“Play by the rules, but be ferocious” - Phil Knight (Co-Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Nike).Naturally I gravitate to this as it comes from a sporting bent. It speaks to the spirit of rolling your sleeves up, having a go, showing some ‘flair and dare’ - learning from both the success and failures.  It gets us out of our comfort zones, and as my business coach constantly reminds me – this is where all the learning happens!

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Tell us about yourself

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Prior to joining Honan in 2018, I spent 11 years at Aon and 5 years at Marsh. My earlier roles involved working with clients to develop risk protection strategies, creating the program and negotiating terms and conditions with insurers in order to meet clients’ identified needs. I was drawn to Honan by the opportunity to not only be part of a rapidly growing business, but to have an active hand in shaping the future of the business.  I’m proud to lead a team of professionals who are genuinely passionate about our brand and what it represents. For us, Honan isn’t about selling insurance, it’s about supporting our customers with quality advice and solutions - typically over many years. Building strong relationships – both personally and professionally - is one of the true perks of the job.

Friends and family are very important to me, so I enjoy spending as much time with them as I can. For those who know me, also have a deep love for the great game of golf, and the mighty Richmond Tigers. My wife and I also love to travel, and our go-to destinations generally address two criteria: good food, and good wine (perhaps three if you include a good golf course)!

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What does the Head of Corporate Insurance & Risk Solutions do?

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My role has three distinct components:

1. To work with key business owners to implement our strategic pillars
2. To provide an environment for our team to operate at their best
3. To build and maintain valuable relationships with our insurer partners in Australia, and overseas - relationships which enable us to deliver truly market-leading solutions for our clients.

Within my role, I solve a myriad of problems, but the majority centre around sourcing optimal placement solutions for our clients. These solutions vary from client to client; from obtaining the most cost-effective cover through to uncovering new markets capable of covering identified risks.  Our vision is for Honan to be the number one independent risk advisory firm in South East Asia - a target we’re gunning down at pace.

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

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• Leading and developing my team
• Imparting knowledge and experience to our colleagues and clients
• Working with our team to unearth new insurance markets and capacity.

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Biggest learning from your time at Honan?

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Learning how to be a leader and what it takes to be a leader, whilst at the same time developing  knowledge and an understanding about the Honan business and its brand DNA. Adapting my management style to my team to enable them to perform at their best.

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Your core focus for the year ahead?

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• Ensuring my team remains mentally healthy - the impact of COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of having a connected team that checks in and supports one another
• Continue to deliver value to our clients through informative and thought-provoking insights and advice
• Harness and present more comprehensive data, analytics and evidence-based insights to our clients.

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Recommended further reading / a great online resource?

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TED Talk – Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action.

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WITH YOU ALL THE WAY:

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‍Phone: +61 434 651 918

Email: travis.wendt@honan.com.au