Meet the team Q&A Series – Felicity Sheppard

Felicity Sheppard, Specie Underwriter

When did you join Keystone? What were you doing beforehand?
I joined Keystone in February 2018.  Before joining the Keystone team I was raising three boys and prior to that worked for Aviva (now MLC).

What is your role at Keystone and what does a typical day look like for you?
My role at Keystone is Specie Underwriter.  Firstly, I check emails to make sure anything urgent is attended to that may have come in overnight.  Secondly, I monitor renewals that are getting close to expiry that have not yet renewed for the coming policy year.  If necessary, I will prompt brokers for a response.  Thirdly, I send out renewal terms for policies due about eight weeks ahead to the relevant broker, so they have plenty of time to approach their clients.  The other major task for the day is assessing new business requests.   Each risk is rated, a suitable quote schedule prepared and then dispatched to the broker.  As part of this I will outline any further details required before the risk can be bound.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
I always like assessing a new risk and building a quote to present to the broker, particularly more complex commercial risks.  It is satisfying bringing together an insurance solution that works for the client.

What makes Keystone special in comparison to other places you’ve worked?
It has been a long time since I’ve worked in a small team (Aviva was a big workplace), and I am enjoying the ability to make decisions and work independently.  This allows me to provide prompt service to brokers.  I enjoy the camaraderie of our team as we all get along well.

What is your proudest moment at Keystone?
My proudest moment was finally being able to launch our name change and trade under our own licence after many months of work and waiting for registrations from financial authorities.

If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring?
Books, dark chocolate, and ‘Scout’ because she’s good company.

What book did you read last?
The last book I read was ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and why?
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. She is one of the most influential people in the world and said to be the unofficial leader of Europe.  It would be fascinating to talk about her background and what motivates her.  She was brought up in the former East Germany and became a research scientist before moving into politics.  She has met so many influential, powerful people over the years.  It would be interesting to understand her views on historical events and her hopes for the future, particularly for women.

Contact Felicity via email felicity@ksua.com.au or phone 0409 671 807.