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Matthew Henderson - Operations Manager, Underwriting Facilities & Strata

Office: Melbourne

Joined Honan: February 2020

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A quote capturing your approach to your role

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“Statistics can be used to prove anything. 40% of all people know that” - Homer Simpson.

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Tell us about yourself

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I was born and raised in Melbourne but left at the age of 21 to travel around Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, working in various pubs, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. I eventually settled in the UK and managed a golf club in Essex. At the age of 29 I realised it was time to put some of my education to use, I bought a suit and started looking for a job in London. It was a full career pivot, beginning with a three-month contract at the Lloyd’s of London Syndicate - Beazley, but ended up as an 8.5-year stint at Lloyd’s, involving several roles at Beazley and then finally at MSAmlin as a Senior Business Analyst in their Property and Casualty Division. During this time, I also trained as an accountant. I made the decision to move back to my hometown of Melbourne in December 2019 and began the role at Honan just a few months later.

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What does the Operations Manager - Underwriting Facilities & Strata do?

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As the Operations Manager – Underwriting Facilities & Strata, I have quite a lot of scope and freedom in the business, which I really get a kick out of. Almost anything can come across my desk on any given day. There are four key parts to my role:

1. Head up the Melbourne-based broker teams for Strata and Real Estate who look after Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
2. Manage our Strata and Landlord insurance product– LIGO.
3. Oversee national operations across all of Strata and Real Estate. This involves looking to implement operational efficiencies, building and running the data and analytics functions, helping to lead strategy and growth, and being a conduit to our Corporate Services team.
4. Contribute to various special projects across the business.

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

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• I am surrounded by smart people, who are consistently willing to share their knowledge and expertise with their clients and colleagues.
• What we do genuinely helps our clients.
• Working within a company that has a culture of success.

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Noteworthy trends?

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Insurance cannot sit by and let the fourth industrial revolution happen around it, and all over the world the industry is taking giant strides. Honan is proactive in seeking out opportunities in this space and as an independent brokerage firm, can quickly act to stay ahead of the curve. I see technological advances as the biggest trend that will shape how Honan do business in the years to come.

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Your core focus for the year ahead?

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Continuing to drive change and efficiencies that make life easier for our clients.

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

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‍Mr Excel forum – I’ve never had an Excel or VBA problem this forum couldn’t help me solve!

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Meet our Head of Professional & Executive Risks – Henry Clark