Insurance "rising star" on becoming a well-rounded professional

This year’s Insurance Business Australia (IB) Rising Stars, aged 35 and under, have distinguished themselves in an industry notoriously tough for newcomers. Among the rising stars in the Australian insurance industry this year is Fraser Gow, the 34-year-old head of customer service and direct business at CHU Underwriting Agencies (CHU).

It has been a whirlwind profession for Gow. He was a customer service team leader two years ago, and then worked his way up to become the national customer service manager, until taking on his current role while studying for his MBA.

In an interview with IB, Gow shared how he has embodied the “rise and grind” phrase, throwing himself into the industry to become a well-rounded insurance professional.

“Despite having limited hours in a day, I never turn down an opportunity to volunteer for panels, action groups, or project teams,” he said. “It has allowed me to greatly increase my knowledge of different parts of my organisation and provided great insight into the potential successes or failings from wider business strategies.”

Commenting on being named one of IB’s rising stars, he said: “It would be remiss of me to claim that I’ve managed it alone. I would not have achieved nearly as much without the support of the CHU executive team, who make it a priority to cultivate development and talent.”

Reflecting on his insurance journey, Gow highlighted the significance of allowing and encouraging the younger generation to grow professionally.

“From an organisational point of view, it’s really easy to blame young people for their lack of development. But some of the onus needs to go on the organization as well. There need to be focused development programs that offer employees clear pathways to development and an end career goal,” he told IB.

Find more about Gow here, or see the rest of this year’s rising star list by reading the IB Rising Stars 2022 report.