Meet the team Q&A Series – John King

John King, Director

When did you join Keystone? What were you doing beforehand?
I was born in Crawley, England, but emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, with my parents in 1966 (yep 10 pound poms).

Unlike many, I always wanted to be an insurance broker. My cousins worked at Bowrings in London, so after completing my HSC I took up a cadetship at Baillieu Bowring Marsh & McLennan. In total, I was with Marsh for 13 years, the majority of this time in FINPRO. 

After a few years with Aon, I was offered a role with Cigna (now ACE) developing their financial lines business – this is where the lure to become an Underwriter took hold. Over my time at ACE, I held several roles including Regional Manager, International Financial Services – Asia Pacific . More recently, I have held senior management and underwriting positions at both Dual Australia and Berkley Insurance Australia.  

What is your role at Keystone and what does a typical day look like for you?
I am a Director at Keystone. I spend the vast majority of my time talking to brokers, negotiating insurance solutions for their clients.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
I really enjoy solving issues and providing great service to my clients.

What makes Keystone special in comparison to other places you’ve worked?
I have long held the view that Underwriting Agencies offer that unique combination of risk taking and controlling your own destiny. I like the opportunities that the agency model offers, learn from others and create something special.

At Keystone its people culture is deeply ingrained, coupled with the depth of knowledge, excellent service and an impressive array of products, Keystone is a truly special group. We can make quick decisions, without any bureaucratic hierarchy. Hopefully we make doing business with Keystone fun as positive customer experiences are the key to success.

What is your proudest moment at Keystone?
Watching our company continue to grow and seeing the young team gain confidence and flourish in their new careers.

If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring?
Paddleboard, Emergency Beacon, Swiss Army Knife.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and why?
Nelson Mandela, such an inspirational person, who through unimaginable hardship rose to lead a country out of institutionalised racism and dismantled apartheid.

What is the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Volunteer Firefighter.

Contact John via email John@ksua.com.au or phone 0422 291 996.