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Aon Benfield Scholarship Winner Announced

SYDNEY, 21 August 2018 – Aon Benfield and the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) are pleased to announce the 2018 Aon Benfield Scholarship has been awarded to Mowen Lee.

Mr Lee is a Risk Adviser at Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, and submitted the winning entry on this year’s topic: The non-insurance gap – a growth opportunity?

As the winner of the scholarship, Mr Lee will attend the 53rd annual Aon Benfield Global Clients Reinsurance Seminar in London from 10 September to 20 September 2018, an outstanding educational opportunity and intensive study program where he will gain an understanding of the principles and practices of arranging reinsurance on a global scale.

‘I am delighted and honoured to be chosen as the winner of the 2018 Aon Benfield Scholarship. The Global Clients Reinsurance seminar in London is an exciting opportunity for me to learn more about the insurance and reinsurance industries and to network with industry professionals from across the globe. I would like to thank ANZIIF and Aon for providing me with this opportunity as well as my employer, VMIA, whose continued support of my professional development is second to none,’ said Mr Lee.

Established to reward and recognise outstanding insurance professionals in the Australian and New Zealand insurance markets and to emphasise the importance of continuing professional development in all aspects of the industry, the scholarship, in partnership with ANZIIF, has been sponsored by Aon Benfield for the past 14 years.

‘As a proud sponsor of this scholarship for many years, we are excited to provide an opportunity for industry professionals such as Mowen to take part in this educational opportunity where he will gain invaluable insights, professional growth and broaden his international network at our London seminar,’ said Robert De Souza, CEO, Aon Benfield Australia and New Zealand.

‘This scholarship offers insurance professionals a great opportunity to learn, grow and expand their horizons within the industry. Given his interest in professional development, I am sure Mowen will embrace this life changing opportunity and make the most of his time at the Global Clients Reinsurance Seminar in London,’ says Prue Willsford, CEO at ANZIIF.

The scholarship was determined by a judging panel of industry figures, featuring:

  • Robert De Souza – President APAC/CEO Australia & New Zealand, Aon Benfield
  • Prue Willsford – CEO, ANZIIF
  • Darren Maher – Group Chief Underwriting Officer, IAG
  • Peter Cheesman – Head of Analytics, Aon Benfield
  • Paul Smeaton – Chief Executive, Vero Insurance New Zealand

The winner will also be recognised at the annual Australian Insurance Industry Awards to be held at Luna Park, Sydney on 30 August 2018.



About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.

ABOUT ANZIIF
The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) is the leading membership body and provider of education, training and professional development services to the insurance industry in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

Established in 1884, ANZIIF has more than 16,000 members in over 50 countries. With offices in Australia, New Zealand and China, ANZIIF works to promote and support lifelong learning through education, thought leadership, professional development events and ANZIIF’s publication, The Journal.

Through our activities, we aim to help members achieve their career and corporate aspirations and to contribute to the success of the insurance and financial services industries.

Visit anziif.com for more information.

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