Business Update – October 2024

In this edition:  New team members, and a team first – Keystone has had a huge start to this financial year!

Somehow it is almost the start of October! As expected at Keystone we have had a busy quarter full of fun and growth. STOP PRESS!  Our Melbourne office has a brand-new toy – a coffee machine!  Call in if you are passing by at Cheltenham and experience Ben and Bridget moonlighting as our in-house baristas.  Make sure you have your order ready!

New Melbourne Team Members
Keystone welcomed Donna Yorgey as our Manager of Compliance and Head of People and Culture. Donna comes to us with a wealth of experience in her field and brings a profoundly joyful atmosphere to the office. When asked for a fun fact about herself Donna states that she has been able to write 120 words per minute… in shorthand! We are delighted to have Donna as part of the team!

We also are delighted to welcome Gemma Feng who joins us as our new Finance and Compliance Assistant. She comes to us from a decade in the international banking and finance sector. Her fun fact when asked what would she be if she had to be an animal is ‘a dog, because they are cute’!

Sydney Visit
Neil and Jon headed to Sydney in August to meet with brokers and enjoy the (slightly worse) coffee. Jon also attended the Underwriters Council of Australia (UAC) Paramatta expo. It was fantastic to see so many members of the Paramatta broking community in attendance.

McLardy McShane Conference
Keystone was honoured to be invited to this year’s McLardy McShane Conference in Adelaide. Felicity, John, and Ben flew the Keystone flag at the Olympic themed event and, if we do say so ourselves, were some of the best dressed!  It was a fantastic opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with the McLardy McShane team.

Council of Queensland Insurance Brokers
Meanwhile, the Brisbane team attended the Council of Queensland Insurance Brokers Conference on the Gold coast.  Susann and Michelle were available to discuss all things underwriting and present Keystone’s general product offering.  Both enjoyed the opportunity to further cement themselves with the community.

Adelaide Visit
Charlotte and John attended the 2024 Underwriters Council of Australia (UAC) Adelaide expo. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to catch up with South Australian brokers, fly the Keystone flag, show off our offerings, and strengthen our relationships.

R U OK DAY
John and Charlotte championed the message of R U OK day while on their Adelaide trip. Both have been staunch supporters of this cause year after year and Keystone are proud of their dedication to this fantastic initiative. They also took the opportunity to meet Hayden Nelson of the television show Sunrise.

New Office Artwork
In a Keystone first, the team was delighted to welcome to the office Pete Groves, a Melbourne based artist. We purchased his piece ‘Fossick and Forage’ to hang in our office and Pete took the time to hand deliver it so he could see where his work will be enjoyed!  It looks great now hanging on the wall, adding just the right colour and vibrancy to our office collection.

Meals with Impact
The Keystone team volunteered at the Meals with Impact program in Melbourne. It was an honour to partake in something that has such a large positive impact on the community. The team packaged 186 meals, chopped 28.7kg of veggies, and in the end contributed to 316 meals. These were donated and distributed to the Dallas Neighborhood House in Broadmeadows. It was an amazing and fulfilling opportunity to give back.

Oracle Group (Australia) Pty Ltd Conference
Susann and Michelle had an amazing time attending the 2024 Oracle Group (Australia) Pty Ltd Conference on the Gold Coast. The conference was a fantastic blend of networking, education and fun. Both Susann and Michelle formed some great connections while professionally and proudly displaying Keystone’s offerings to the Oracle Group.

AFL Footy Colours Morning Tea
Keystone let team colours fly at our AFL colours morning tea. This was a great opportunity to have a break together and enthusiastically discuss the coming footy grand final. We enjoyed a pot-luck style morning tea with some amazing goodies contributed by everyone.

Run-Club
Headed by our Claims Manager Chloe, Keystone’s run-club has expanded to include a lovely run (or if you’re Georgia – walk) every Tuesday.  Not only is this great for health and fitness, but it gets us out in the fresh Spring air. This is a great training opportunity for our team members who intend to run or walk in the upcoming Speak & Share Fun Run in December.

Melbourne
Some of the Keystone team rolled up their sleeves in September to donate blood to aid the current blood donation shortage in Victoria. The team were happy and proud to sit back and make a donation, and the biscuits and snacks provided at the end were a welcome reward!

London Visit
Ben has made his way to London at the beginning of September to visit stakeholders in the Lloyds market.  His first stop was to see Keystone Underwriter Kaleb Forster, who is currently on sabbatical working for a London broking house. Ben has had a productive visit seeing people face to face who are important to our success.  This reinforces Keystone’s strong relationships internationally and facilitates our commitment to superior service in the Australian market.

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