Meet the team Q&A – Neil Sheppard

Donna brings a unique perspective to Keystone as both Compliance Manager and People and Culture champion. She has a wealth of knowledge in dealing with people from varied backgrounds and experience levels, and has a passion for fostering a supportive and engaging work environment.

Donna brings a focus on both ethical excellence and employee well-being with her dual responsibilities in Compliance, and People and Culture. Her aim is to ensure Keystone adheres to the highest ethical standards, while also fostering a positive and enriching company culture for our valued employees.

Weekends for Donna are filled with learning how to nail the perfect picture with her Canon camera, navigating a never-ending battle with her Yamaha piano, and she loves hanging out with her dogs.

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.

Michelle is a well-respected insurance professional with over 20 years’ experience in general insurance, covering both underwriting and broker development fields. Her career saw her hold senior underwriting roles at large insurers including CGU, Zurich, and Tokio Marine in multiple lines of business including:

– Engineering and Construction

– Business Insurance

– Motor

– Accident & Health

Michelle has a meticulous eye for detail and a penchant for analytical thinking. She has earned a quality reputation for her underwriting acumen and unwavering commitment to customer and broker satisfaction. Her extensive expertise encompasses risk assessment, policy analysis, and portfolio management, making her a highly sought after asset in the insurance industry.

Michelle has embarked on unique personal endeavours in addition to her extensive professional achievements. She took a year off work to visit places on her bucket list while pursuing her passion for animals by
pet-sitting around the world. This was an enriching experience for her, providing the opportunity to care for beloved pets in diverse cultural settings across Asia, the USA, UK and Europe. It enabled her to foster meaningful connections with both animals and their owners whilst immersing herself in new environments in far flung places.

Susann has over 10 years’ underwriting experience specialising in SME and hard-to-place casualty risks. She has held roles at Lloyd’s backed agencies as well as traditional insurers with a strong focus on technical underwriting and relationship management. Her underwriting expertise spans a variety of blue-collar and white-collar industries as well as motorsport, hospitality, agriculture, and marine. She has strengths in the following product lines:

– General Liability

– Excess of Loss Liability

– Professional Indemnity

– Property

Susann enjoys being active outside of work and loves exploring Australia and the world. She grew up in Germany and found her passion for travel very early on; she is always planning her next adventure.

Bridget started at Keystone in early 2024. She joined as Administration Assistant in her first role in the insurance industry. She has quickly gained an interest in:

– Medical Malpractice

– General Liability

– Professional Indemnity

– Specie

Bridget is focused on delivering excellent service to brokers using her past customer service experience. She aims to provide a high level of support for the Keystone team and everyone involved through the insurance process.

Bridget spends her weekends going camping with her friends and family, as well as playing with her two rescue dogs King and Marley.

Emma began her insurance career in 2021 working as a broker at a local firm managing a general insurance portfolio with a focus on SME insurance products such as:

– Professional Indemnity

– Public and Products Liability

– Property

– Association Liability

– Cyber Liability

Emma is dedicated to delivering the utmost care and support to brokers by building strong, collaborative relationships based on trust and transparency. She understands brokers’ unique needs and challenges and strives to provide personalized assistance, timely solutions, and ongoing support.

Emma’s hobbies include reading, caring for her two dogs Herbie and Lulu, indulging in music, and cultivating her collection of cacti.

Georgia is an accomplished administrative assistant with a background in international banking and lending.

She has a passion for and likes to focus on:

– Financial Institutions

– Management Liability

– Association Liability

– Professional Indemnity

Georgia is dedicated to providing premier service to brokers, ensuring tailored solutions and optimal results. She assists underwriters in evaluating and mitigating potential liabilities, drawing on her expertise in navigating regulatory landscapes and assessing financial risks. Meticulous attention to detail, proactive problem-solving, and a commitment to excellence define her approach.

Georgia is a mum to her son Leo, who brings joy and adventure into her life every day. When time permits she immerses herself in the worlds of video games and Dungeons and Dragons, finding solace and excitement in virtual quests and imaginative storytelling. She also loves to lace up her hiking boots and hit the trails.

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. Kelly 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 works in partnership with brokers.

You can find Kelly enjoying 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.

Kelly has over two decades of experience within the insurance industry both in Australia and the UK. The introduction to the Life Science sector arose from working in London with a leading Lloyds insurance broker and exposure to negotiating UK and global insurance policies for numerous large pharmaceutical companies.

Kelly has in depth understanding of the parties involved in a clinical trial, the cycle of a clinical study to product stage, and other insurance requirements as clients commercialise their products.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.