Stuck In a Lift with an Underwriter | Martin Patterson

Tell us a bit about being an Underwriter?

I don’t work as a traditional underwriter at the moment.  I’m responsible for the ‘day-to-day operation of BIA’s online offering via SCTP.  I liaise with our underwriters and IT departments (and Steadfast) to make sure the Brokers are getting the best efficient possible service from using Berkley on SCTP.

How do you like your coffee?

Often

What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional?

Is ‘kids’ the right answer? Think it has to be, they may read this.  It’s a challenge but when you see them growing into ‘good’ people it’s the best.

What does a typical day look like for you and what are you currently working on?

I generally don’t do typical (apart from the continual coffee).  I deal with a number of different internal and external stakeholders working in the BORIS/SCTP world.  I can have a number of different ‘fires’ going at any one time or none at all which just sees me trying to make the system work better and make more Brokers use it.

What are three words to describe Berkley Insurance Australia?

Trust, Open, and Forward.

What is something people in insurance have to deal with that you want to fix?

Return phone calls people, it makes life so much easier.

What do you like most about working with brokers?

I actually don’t have much contact with brokers these days (only when they have a problem with their system).  I would imagine they are sick of me saying “that’s a SCTP problem you’re have to contact Streadfast Tech”.  That’s my ‘goto’ answer to everything these days regardless of the question.

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?

Australia Day 2020, Collie, Western Australia. I saw a bogan try to kill themselves by backflipping out of a 10mt tree into 3 feet of water.  I filmed it on my phone and re-watch it occasionally. It cheers me up to know there are stupider people than me out there.

What podcasts or books are listening/reading right now?

‘Name of the Rose’ by Umberto Eco was the last book I read (spoiler alert, the Monk did it)

I listen to a lot of Podcast’s but the last one I listened to yesterday was ‘The History of England’ # 198 which I’ve been listening to for about a year (sounds really boring now I’ve written it down)

What is your guilty pleasure?

‘Parks and Recreation’ on Netflix, those that know will know how good it is!

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