OUR TEAM
President
Monique McKinery Yates
Monique is the Business Development Manager at Charles Taylor Loss Adjusters. She has 10 years experience in the assessment, quantification and resolution of claims. Monique is sociable, relationships driven, and passionate about providing free educational, networking and career advancement opportunities to the broader insurance industry. Monique founded the Claims Discussion Group (now the Vic Claims Discussion Group Inc.) in 2014 organising ad hoc events on topical issues and drawing on her network to share information in a collaborative way for the advancement of the insurance industry and insurance professionals within it. In 2016 she banded the current committee, and incorporated the group in the hopes of attracting further likeminded people together to give back to the community that we all so love. Monique is an outspoken advocate for women in leadership positions and in insurance generally.
Vice President
Ken Harry
Ken is currently the Major Contracts Manager, Commercial Claims with Suncorp and has well over 30 years of experience in both Banking and Insurance sectors.
Ken has held various relationship, operational and project roles with ANZ Bank across Corporate, SME, Retail and Private Banking segments.
Having then moved across into Insurance, he has hands on and extensive experience in technical underwriting (home warranty insurance) and managing & leading teams of people and holds a Bachelor of Economics and an MBA.
Co-Secretary
Benjamin Karalus
Benjamin is a Principal & Practice Group Leader at Meridian Lawyers.
Benjamin acts for insurers providing advice on liability and indemnity issues across the spectrum of insurance products, policies and claims. Benjamin acts on behalf of a variety of businesses, insurers and self-insured entities across all Australian jurisdictions. He leads a national team experienced in conducting complex and volume recovery claims.His commercial and insightful approach provides clients with efficient and timely resolution of claims where possible and robust representation where required in litigated disputes.
Prior to specialising in insurance and recoveries, Benjamin built a reputation as a skilled litigator across a range of jurisdictions and areas of law including insurance, personal and corporate insolvency, commercial debt recovery, building and construction disputes, criminal defence, family and taxation law.
Benjamin was admitted to practice as a solicitor and barrister in 2005 to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court Of Australia. He is a member of ANZIIF and AILA and in 2014 was appointed to the ANZIIF Generation I Council. Benjamin was appointed to the ANZIIF General Insurance Faculty Advisory Board in 2017
Co-Secretary
Mark Peters
Mark Peters is the Marine Claims Manager, Asia Pacific, for Chubb Insurance. Mark has worked at Chubb for 18 years in various claims roles including Melbourne Claims Manager, Australian Marine Claims Manager and International Recovery Director in charge of the subrogation function for 51 countries. He has also worked at NTI Australia in as Marine Recoveries and Settlements Manager, and at Vero as a Liability Claims Manager. Mark initially began his career in law and still has a legal practising certificate. He also loves trivia, hosting an annual event for the Vic Claims Discussion Group, and poses trivia questions to family and friends at any opportunity.
Treasurer
Norio Hino
Norio is a forensic accountant and Senior Manager at Charles Taylor Adjusting. Norio has more than ten years of experience in forensic accounting and business valuations. Norio regularly assists insurers and lawyers in assessing business interruption losses, stock losses and fidelity / fraud losses. He also prepares expert witness reports in the area of economic loss assessments, financial investigations and business valuations which are used in commercial litigation and family law disputes. Norio holds a Bachelor of Commerce and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the CFA Institute.
Social Media Officer
Scott Shelly
Scott is a Principal at Barry.Nilsson Lawyers. Scott has wide experience in financial lines claims having defended multiple claims across a variety of industries. He also regularly advises on policy coverage and policy wording issues. In addition, Scott has acted in numerous medical negligence claims against health care providers, hospitals and health practitioners. He has acted for and defended a variety of medical and health industry professionals including medical practitioners, psychologists, dentists, physiotherapists, radiologists and a range of allied health professionals.
Communications Officer
Gavin Block
Gavin is the Technical Claims Manager at PSC Insurance Brokers and has over 20 years’ experience in claims management. He has found his passion within the Insurance Industry and is a strong believer in Insurance as a career path. With a specialisation in property claims, Gavin has held roles such as the Technical Claim Specialist at Suncorp, National Claims Manger at Ansvar Insurance, National TPA Manager at Crawford & Company as well as a variety of team leader and claims officer positions. It is this experience across a spectrum of the claims management function, that Gavin hopes to bring to the VCDG committee.
Committee Member
Charlotte Jolly
Charlotte is the National Head of Claims for the Faith and Education Practice at Marsh and has previously held the role of Manager of Property Motor and Personal Accident Claims at Catholic Church Insurance.
Charlotte has worked in the insurance industry for over 13 years and has experience in areas including property, liability, motor, agriculture, personal accident and health.
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Committee Member
Richard Wang
Richard is a Senior Dispute Resolution Specialist at AFCA in the Insurance division. Richard has over 20 years’ experience in the Insurance industry, which included legal roles as Special Counsel and in-house legal where he provided advice and conducted of litigation on behalf of Insurers, Owners Corporations and other Commercial entities in the areas of indemnity, recovery and liability from both a Plaintiff and Defendant perspective. Richard has extensive experience and specialised in the areas of insurance disputes, indemnity issues -including CATS and significant weather events, Owners Corporation matters, personal and corporate insolvency, employee fraud, subrogation and construction claims. Besides Victoria, Richard has experience conducting disputes across the jurisdictions of New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia in his areas of relevant specialty.
