Our Brisbane Team
Our people are central to our approach. We empower local underwriters and claims professionals to make decisions, talk through complex risks, and build long-term relationships based on trust and expertise. Meet your BIA team.
Matthew McPhee
National Underwriting Manager
Matthew McPhee has over 30 years experience in the Casualty classes (PI, ML, D&O and GL) having working for International Insurance brokers and Underwriters in Australia and London.
Matthew has a reputation for ensuring insurance brokers and their clients receive excellent service and professional advice in his chosen specialty.
Matthew has a Commerce Degree, Fellowship with ANZIIF, and when a broker was a Member of NIBA.
Paul Kelly
State Manager - QLD/NT
Paul holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and is a Fellow of ANZIIF.
Paul has been in the financial services industry for 30 years beginning in the stock market before moving to insurance in 1993. Paul has undertaken a number of roles from portfolio management and liability underwriting for various insurers to a corporate insurance broker for local and international broking firms across a wide variety of industries from manufacturing, mining, property development to health services. Currently, Paul is the Qld & NT State Manager for Berkley Insurance Australia, based in Brisbane and also has the role of Casualty underwriter.
Nicole Carey
National Head of New Products
Nicole has a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Juris Doctor and a Diploma of Financial Services.
Nicole has a split role at Berkley Insurance Australia. Nicole shares her time between Financial Lines Underwriting in our Brisbane team and nationally as a Wording Technician.
Nicole has over 20 years’ experience in the industry with a particular focus on professional indemnity, directors’ & officers’ liability and management liability insurance policies. Nicole has 15 years’ experience working for large international insurance brokers which provides her with a unique understanding of the pressures faced by brokers on a daily basis.
Nicole enjoys working with brokers and Berkley Insurance Australia underwriters to create solutions for their clients.
Alison Campbell
Underwriter
Alison holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor or Arts in Communication from James Cook University as well as a Diploma of General Insurance and has been in the Insurance Industry for more than 17 years having begun her career as a receptionist before swiftly moving into underwriting.
Alison has experience underwriting Strata Property as well as General Liability, the latter of which will be a focus at BIA whilst developing skills in the Financial Lines.
She is an avid marathon runner, and her favourite month of the year is October because the weather gets warm, the Jacaranda’s + Gardenia’s + Jasmin all flower, and there is always a heavy supply of horror movies to watch (her favourite genre) because of Halloween.
Sue Pereira
Underwriter
Sue has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and a Diploma of Insurance Broking. With over 17 years of experience in the insurance industry, Sue began her career in customer service and has since gained extensive experience in broking, general insurance underwriting, and cyber underwriting.
Currently, Sue is eager to embrace new challenges with BIA and focus on developing her skills in Financial Lines.
Since moving to Brisbane with her family in 2021, Sue, her husband, and their daughter have enjoyed spending most of their time outdoors, making the most of the beautiful weather.
Daniel Smith
Senior Underwriter Financial Lines
Daniel Smith brings over 26 years of insurance industry experience to his role as Senior Underwriter in our Brisbane office. With a strong focus on Professional Indemnity, Directors & Officers Liability, and Management Liability, Daniel has developed a reputation for delivering tailored, solutions-focused underwriting across a broad spectrum of clients.
His career spans both international and domestic insurance brokers as well as leading global insurers, giving him a well-rounded perspective on risk and client needs. Daniel’s expertise covers both SME and Corporate clients, and he has worked across a wide range of industries and disciplines.
Zoe Xiong
Underwriting Assistant
Zoe joined BIA in 2026 as an Assistant Underwriter, bringing three years of insurance experience from Bupa. Prior to insurance, she worked in international marketing for 7 years and completed a master degree of marketing management from University of Tasmania, building experience in stakeholder relationships and working across different cultures. She is excited to bring her customer service and case management experience to BIA.
Outside of work, Zoe enjoys spending time with her daughter, camping, and enjoying sunshine along the beach.
Josh Gibson
Underwriting Assistant
Josh is an Assistant Underwriter at Berkley Insurance Australia with prior experience working as an Insurance Broker and Assistant Insurance Broker. He has a passion for insurance and is eager to learn the nuisances of financial lines insurance.
Outside of work, Josh enjoys Basketball, Snowboarding, Hiking & Watching the Broncos.
