Suncorp’s Michelle Ashby celebrates prestigious ANZIIF award

26 June 2020

Suncorp New Zealand’s Michelle Ashby has received a prestigious insurance award for her service to the Australia and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF).

With nearly 35 years in the insurance industry, Ashby has supported ANZIIF in several roles, having previously sat on ANZIIF’s Academic Council, as well as the New Zealand Branch Executive Committee, and the ANZIIF Women’s Council.

 “I’ve always seen being a part of ANZIIF as my way of giving back to the industry and supporting the next generation of insurance professionals,” says the Suncorp New Zealand Learning Leader.

Michelle has played a significant role in promoting discussion around opportunities for women in insurance and supporting insurance professionals in their career development.

MICHELLE ASHBY

ANZIIF CEO Prue Willsford called Ashby a consummate professional who brings passion and a broad perspective to the industry.

“She is passionate about challenging unconscious bias, retaining talent and helping female talent progress early in their careers, mentoring them and providing development opportunities to help their transition to leadership,” he said.

“I have always sought and valued her advice on the development needs of people in New Zealand as she maintains a broad perspective and a true belief in the betterment of the industry through investment in human capital.”

Ashby’s career in insurance began in September of 1985 with a role in customer service at GRE in Dunedin, and she hasn’t looked back since.

“Through that role, which at the time involved a little bit of everything including dealing with claims, I quickly realised that insurance allows me to support the community through some of their hardest moments, and that’s immensely rewarding” she says.

She went on to become a Business Development Manager at SunAlliance before taking a break to have her family.

It was when Ashby set up a skills framework for the delivery of technical learning that she discovered her passion for developing people.

Today Ashby is responsible for managing the learning budget and the delivery of learning and compliance training across Suncorp New Zealand.

Ashby says Suncorp New Zealand’s size and pathways for career progression allowed her to upskill and build a successful career in insurance. Now she’s focused on helping others within the business find the same opportunities for learning and development

Ashby is thrilled to continue her work on ANZIIF’s New Zealand Advisory board and credits Suncorp’s flexible working in enabling her to devote time and energy to ANZIIF over the years.

Media enquiries: Kimberley Cameron +64 27 208 1268