Heather Sippel, Operations Manager - Catastrophe Response at Gallagher Bassett (GB), was recently featured in Insurance Business Australia.

Heather has been placed on the 2019 Young Guns list, an annual showcase of the industry's future leaders. 

The list focuses on high achievers aged 35 or under who are already demonstrating an impressive level of achievement and leadership in the early stages of their careers. They are the future of the Australian insurance industry, with up-to-date knowledge that industry veterans can benefit from and leadership skills that will make them role models for the brokers of tomorrow.

Heather oversees GB's Catastrophe Response Team; managing client relationships, the performance of the team, recruitment, staff engagement and development, and is also responsible for internal and external stakeholder management.

In the interview, Heather discusses how managing a busy catastrophe team and making a difference in her customers’ lives is all the motivation she needs each day.

As the catastrophe operations manager at GB, she is able to influence and encourage her staff, customers and clients daily to achieve positive outcomes. Her competitive nature ensures she is constantly pushing her team to provide customers with the best service and outcomes.

Heather was quick to recommend an insurance career having entered the industry at the age of 16,

“With the variety of insurance products in the market and associated specialist roles available, no industry comes close in being able to offer such diversity, support and guidance for new entrants."

Heather leads an outstanding team, which has managed claims following some of the largest catastrophic events in the history of the Southern Hemisphere, and has been involved in managing claims for every major catastrophic event in Australia since 1998. 

Large-scale catastrophe events are becoming more common, and so to is the demand for comprehensive peak demand cover. The team has successfully managed claims that resulted from hail storms, power loss, earthquakes, flooding, bushfires, contamination and cyclones.

Some of our results include:

• Settlements achieved at 30% of independent cost estimates;
• Compensation program finalised in half of the estimated time; and,
• 172,000 calls successfully managed in line with client expectations.

Heather is well recognised in the organisation as an inspiring female leader. As a result, she was nominated to represent GB at the recent Women in Insurance Leadership summit.

For more information on GB's catastrophe claims management services, follow this link.