Why Keystone
Keystone believes that to be successful there needs to be a true understanding of customers. We strive to be known as Thinking Underwriters who listen intently to the needs of clients. The aim is to offer insurance solutions and business partnerships unmatched in today’s marketplace through deep-rooted principles of outstanding service, quality products and exceptional security.
Keystone’s Story
Three well-respected insurance professionals Neil Sheppard, John King and Jon Willmott founded Keystone. Each has over 20 years experience in the insurance market and all have spent a considerable amount of their careers in well-known international insurance houses. Time had come to build a business based on common principles that are close to their hearts.Values
Approach
Lloyd's
Keystone proudly underwrites exclusively on behalf of certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, click here to learn more about Lloyd’s.
We are a proud member of the Underwriting Agencies Council (UAC).
Meet the team
Neil Sheppard
Managing Director
Neil has over 25 years’ underwriting experience. He has worked at traditional insurers and at a Lloyds Coverholder. Previous roles at Royal and Sun Alliance, CGU, and more senior management at AIG, ACE and ProRisk have given Neil strong underwriting experience across multiple classes of insurance including:
- Professional Indemnity
- Medical Malpractice
- Directors and Officers
- Management Liability
- Association Liability
- Financial Institutions
- General Liability
- Property
- Accident and Sickness
- Affinity
Neil has interests in running, gardening and enjoying time with his family.
John King
Director
John commenced his career with Marsh in 1981 and after a thorough cadetship, joined the fast-emerging financial lines team. The next opportunity was a senior role at ACE in the financial lines area. Over the coming years this role expanded to managing financial lines portfolios and teams throughout the Asia Pacific.
John has held senior management positions at both Dual and Berkley Insurance Australia in more recent years. His comprehensive experience covers multiple classes of insurance including:
- Professional Indemnity
- Medical Malpractice
- Directors and Officers
- Management Liability
- Association Liability
John has interests in football, snow skiing, paddle boarding, pilates, exploring new restaurants and having fun with his family.
Felicity Sheppard
Underwriter – Specie
Felicity has had a diverse range of roles in her career from paralegal administration work in the nature conservation field, to administration and business analysis for the then Norwich Union Navigator and later Aviva Australia.
2005 marked the start of a family of three boys, moving to Sydney, then returning to Melbourne full time in 2008. Felicity took the opportunity to learn about underwriting and discovered the remarkable world of specie insurance. She enjoys the connection this brings to her keen interest in fine arts and collectibles. She is experienced with private collections of all types including jewellery, and enjoys the complexities of creating insurance solutions for commercial enterprises dealing in specie products. She manages an extensive range of specie insurance products:
- Private and Corporate Fine Art Collections
- Private Jewellery Collections
- Private Vault Storage
- Wine/Spirits Collections
- Numismatic and Philatelic Collections
- Bullion
- Storage and Transit of Collections
- Art and Antique Dealers and Galleries
- Museums
- Jewellers (Jewellers’ Block)
- Auctioneers
- Exhibitions (commercial and private collections).
Felicity has a long-held interest in the art world and finds her work fascinating. Family life is a keen focus and pleasure. She also enjoys gardening, a good book, and visiting galleries when time allows.
Suzanne Knight
Finance Director
Suzanne has solid experience in finance roles across various industries. In 2008 she joined a large insurance firm to take care of both broking and underwriting finance.
After taking a break in 2012 to start a family, she now handles all finance matters for Keystone.
Jon Willmott
Director
Jon has over 20 years’ experience working in various roles across both the UK and Australian insurance markets. During his time in London, Jon learnt his trade whilst working at the Lloyd’s syndicate Beazley before moving to Australia with his family in 2008. He has since held senior positions for Lloyd’s Coverholders, traditional insurers and large global broking houses across both Melbourne and Sydney including ProRisk, Berkley Australia and Willis Towers Watson. This has provided him with a well balanced knowledge across multiple classes of insurance including;
- Professional Indemnity
- Medical Malpractice
- Directors and Officers
- Management Liability
- Association Liability
- General Liability
- Property
- Accident and Sickness
- Affinity
Jon loves all sports especially the EPL where he follows the mighty Gunners. He also enjoys spending time with his growing family and walking his dog, Tess along the local beach.
Ben Gray
Underwriter
Ben joined Keystone in 2020 following completion of his Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) at Monash University.
Ben’s expertise extends to the following product lines:
- Management Liability
- Professional Indemnity
- Association Liability
- General Liability
- Medical Malpractice.
Ben's strengths extend beyond his technical expertise, since his exceptional customer service and relationship-focused approach have earned him the loyalty of brokers who look to him to provide the insurance needs of their clients. His ability to build strong partnerships with brokers allows him to understand their unique requirements and provide tailored insurance solutions to meet their clients’ circumstances.
Ben is an avid tennis player when he's not hard at work, a sport that he's been passionate about since childhood. He also enjoys spending time in his garden, and taking hikes with friends to explore the great outdoors.
Ben watches the latest UFC fights when he can, indulging his fascination with martial arts.
Keystone is proud to have Ben on our team, and we know that his deep technical expertise, exceptional customer service skills, and passion for sports and nature make him a valuable asset to the team.
Charlotte Cunliffe
Underwriting Assistant
Charlotte joined Keystone in 2021 and has quickly developed an interest in insurance, particularly in the areas of:
- Medical Malpractice
- General Liability
- Professional Indemnity
- Management Liability
- Specie.
Charlotte is a results-driven individual who is passionate about providing excellent customer service. She is committed to finding the best possible solutions for brokers and ensuring that they receive the highest level of support throughout the insurance process.
Charlotte enjoys horse riding and traveling in her free time. She is a keen equestrian and spends much of her weekends training and riding her horses. She has travelled regularly in the last few years to several overseas destinations and has a curiosity about new places and experiencing different cultures. She looks forward to planning and immersing herself in the next adventure.
Kelly Ross-Howard
Underwriter
Kelly has over 25 years’ experience working in the insurance industry in Australia and the UK. She started as a graduate with an insurance broker in Melbourne working on the architect scheme for the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA).
Kelly moved to London in 1999, working with various Lloyds insurance brokers on the Irish solicitor scheme, the scheme for the Association of Consulting Engineers, and spent 14 years at Miller Insurance placing Life Science and Biotech business. She handled many difficult to place risks for pharmaceutical companies, and specialised in complex global clinical trial placements. also has experience with Medical Malpractice, Intellectual Property, Professional Indemnity, General Liability, Product Recall, and SME insurance classes for startups to listed companies.
Kelly moved back to Melbourne in 2016 with her family and commenced underwriting at ProRisk, Dual, and most recently at Avatar Brokers for four years placing Life Science policies. This work with ASX clients and difficult to place risks has given her solid experience in assisting brokers with their clients’ demands. She always aims to provide excellent customer service and work in partnership with brokers.
You can find Kelly enjoying a music festivals or concerts when she is not working, or attending spin classes, walking her Italian greyhound, trying out new cafes and restaurants, and attending many sporting events. She is an avid English Premier League fan following LFC (Liverpool Football Club) and enjoying time with family.
Robyn Simper
Marketing
Robyn has over 15 years marketing experience specialising in digital and brand marketing. Over her career, she has worked in strategic marketing management roles with brands such as Flight Centre, Harrods, Just Group and Priceline Pharmacy helping them navigate the digital landscape, building customer connections, and setting them up for successful ecommerce trading.
Robyn has recently joined the Keystone team to look after marketing.
Chloe Raleigh
Claims Manager
Chloe has over 10 years' experience working in the legal insurance field. She has worked all over Australia including in-house at law firms, at Lloyd's insurers and TPAs.
Most recently Chloe worked in a claims management role at Arch Insurance.
Chloe has strong claims experience in all our classes of insurance including:
- Professional Indemnity
- Medical Malpractice
- Directors and Officers
- Management Liability
- Association Liability
- General Liability
- Property
- Accident and Sickness
Chloe has interests in snowboarding, travelling, hiking and the gym. She also enjoys cooking and spending time with her dog Woody.
Kaleb Forster
Underwriter
Kaleb has been with Keystone since early 2019, joining after completing his Bachelor of Business (Finance and Economics) at Swinburne University.
Kaleb has had experience across all product lines at Keystone since then, with a focus on:
- Professional Indemnity
- General Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Not-for-Profits
- Management Liability
- Schemes.
Keystone is pleased to see Kaleb’s ability to form strong relationships with our broker partners and find solutions for all types of risks. His product knowledge and technical understanding enables him to assist with all queries and he is known for his quick response times.
Kaleb is a passionate West Coast Eagles fan outside of work, and loves all sports with particular focus on cricket and horse racing. We have occasionally heard about the long days in the cricket field wicket-keeping when he has assisted his mates with district matches. Kaleb also enjoys travel and music, often taking over the speaker in the office with his “amazing” playlists.
Kaleb is a highly valued member of the Keystone team and we look forward to the journey ahead!