Tuesday, 23 July 2024

IAG Industry Risk & Governance Manager George Manos has been appointed as the Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct Administration Committee (MVIRI CAC) Chair, as the committee tasks law firm MST Lawyers to draft a rewrite of the Code.

With three decades of experience in the insurance sector, Mr Manos’ career includes roles in motor underwriting and claims management in both personal and commercial insurance. Currently Mr Manos works in IAG’s Motor Supply Chain in the role of Industry Risk & Governance Manager.

Following two years as Chair, Motor Traders’ Association of NSW General Counsel and Head of Employment Relations Stephen Jenkins will continue to serve on the committee along with current members.

MVIRI CAC Chair George Manos said, “I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to the previous Chair for his outstanding leadership during the Code review process. His dedication and strategic vision have been pivotal in steering our committee through the crucial initial stages with great success.”

Mr Manos added, “As I step into the role of Chair, I am eager to build upon the strong foundation laid and I am committed to maintaining our progress, ensuring that we continue to evolve and thrive as a highly effective committee.”

The appointment arrives at a pivotal moment for the committee, with law firm MST Lawyers formally appointed to draft a rewrite of the Code.

“It is an exciting milestone to be one step closer to improving the Code in response to the independent review conducted by Dr Michael Schaper” Mr Manos said.

“In the coming months, the committee’s intention is to share the draft and seek industry feedback”.

Background

Section 13.1 (e) of the Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct currently states that members of the CAC will elect one of their number as chairperson for a 12 month period on the basis that an appointee of ICA and an appointee of MTAA will rotate as chairperson and the first rotation shall be determined by lot.

In December 2022, the Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry (MVIRI) Code Administration Committee (CAC) announced Dr Michael Schaper was appointed to conduct an independent review of the MVIRI Code of Conduct (Code) and in May 2023, the CAC formally received Dr Schaper’s final report.

The report provided 15 recommendations in response to the review’s terms of reference which focused on:

1. The effectiveness of dispute resolution processes under the Code
2. Awareness and accessibility of the Code
3. Compliance with the Code
4. Governance of the Code and the CAC
5. Other issues pertinent to the effective governance and operation of the Code

A range of stakeholders were consulted in the review process, including government bodies, regulators such as Small Business Commissioners, members of the Code Administration Committee, as well as the insurance and repair industry.

Since its inception in 2006, the Code has undergone multiple reviews to ensure it remains fit-for-purpose, with the last review undertaken in 2017.

A copy of Dr Schaper’s report can be found on the Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct website at www.abrcode.com.au/resource-centre as well as the MTAA website www.mtaa.com.au and the ICA website at www.insurancecouncil.com.au.

Contact:
MVIRI CAC Chair George Manos
Phone: 0411 014 428
Website: www.abrcode.com.au/contact-us

Friday, 19 July 2024

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) will next week lead a delegation of insurance experts and government officials on a five-day study tour to the United States.

The inaugural AmCham/ICA US Study Tour to Washington, DC, and Sacramento, California aims to foster dialogue on insurance market challenges and solutions to mitigate against shared risks.

The economic impact of frequent and intense extreme weather events being experienced across the US mirror the challenges Australia is facing with cyclones, fires and flood.

Sharing solutions to the widening protection gap and the need for investment in resilience and mitigation measures to protect at-risk communities are all on the agenda for the delegation, which will meet with government agencies, elected officials, insurers and regulators.

The delegation follows record-breaking extreme weather losses globally in 2023, which Swiss Re has calculated reached US$280 billion, of which only US$108 billion were covered by insurance.

The delegation includes:

• Senior executives from insurers IAG, Youi, Suncorp, Auto & General, QBE, Allianz and Hollard, as well as the ICA
• Bipartisan elected representatives from the Australian and New South Wales Parliaments, all of whom have a shared interest in solutions to insurance market challenges
• Representatives of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the National Emergency Management Agency.

The Insurance Council will continue this important international dialogue when it hosts global insurance leaders at its Annual Conference in Brisbane in October 2024.

Quote attributable to ICA CEO Andrew Hall: 

The Australian and North American insurance markets are facing strikingly similar challenges around affordable and available home insurance.  

Rapidly growing populations, growing asset values all in areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather is testing the overall durability of the insurance market.  

We must learn from each other what initiatives are working and what experiences we can share about future resilience measures that reduce the future risk.

The Australian-American relationship is deep across many other areas of shared economic and defence priorities. Our shared challenge of improving the protection gap in our private insurance markets is yet another area where closer collaboration and cooperation can provide useful benefits for both countries.  

We look forward to sharing updates from important bilateral meetings over the coming week at a Federal level in Washington DC and at a state level in Sacramento, California. 

A full list of delegation participants can be found here.