Ewen McKay

Ewen McKay is National Manager – Professional Risks at Assetinsure Pty Ltd.

He has worked in the insurance industry for more than 28 years, all this time specialising in Professional Indemnity, Directors’ & Officers’ Liability and related classes.

Ewen started his insurance career in early 1985 as an Account Executive in the PI division of Baillieu Bowring Marsh & McLennan (now Marsh). Later that year he was part of a team that left Marsh to establish a specialist PI department at Willis Faber Johnson & Higgins (now Willis) where he stayed for over 10 years working in a range of roles including Manager for Queensland, Manager for NSW and director of Willis’s PI broking subsidiary.

In early 1996 Ewen moved into the underwriting side of the industry when he accepted an offer to become the Underwriting Manager – Professional Liability at FAI. He retained this role for 3 years until early 1999 when he moved to Gerling Australia in a similar capacity.

Ewen commenced his current role as National Manager – Professional Risks at Assetinsure in early 2003.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and government. He has also studied engineering and law at university level. He is a Fellow of the Australian & New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance, holds CIP status and is a long-time member of AILA and APIG.

Ewen has a long history of organisational involvement with APIG going back to the days of its foundation in the mid-1990’s. Ewen has also had a long term involvement with the Professional Indemnity Committee of the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), advising numerous government departments, regulators and industry bodies on a wide range of PI issues.

In addition to these roles, Ewen has been a regular presenter on PI and D&O related matters at seminars and conferences around Australia for APIG and a variety of other organisations. He has also been called on as an expert witness in several litigated disputes involving PI insurance.

2011 Frank Earl Award Winner

Robert Beaton LLB, B.Arch (Hons), B.Sc (Arch), RAIA, ANZIIF (Snr Assoc)

Robert Beaton was the first winner of the APIG Frank Earl Award in 2011.

Robert retired in early 2011 after 35 years specialising in professional indemnity insurance, and prior to that eight years in Architecture (while studying part time).

Robert joined Swiss Re (the local branch then known as Australian Re) in February 1976, after completing a double degree in Architecture and graduating with honours. The thesis associated with his honours degree focused on Architects professional liability.

In the 1970s, Robert was principally involved with managing PI claims, in the beginning for architects but later for all occupations. In the 1980s, Robert became more involved in underwriting and policy drafting.

In about 2000, Robert became the National PI Underwriting Manager for CGU and subsequently in 2002, the National Professional Risks Product and Underwriting Manager, with responsibility for all Professional Risks products and underwriting at CGU.

In his various roles over the years, Robert had both a direct and indirect involvement in the delivery of this technical and product training to brokers. Robert was also a presenter and seminar speaker on professional risks topics and has formally presented at conferences in NZ and Singapore as well as throughout Australia.

In the mid-1990s Robert was instrumental in the establishment of an industry committee to develop co-ordinated submissions to the Federal Government in response to the effect of the East End court decision on the viability of Claims Made insurance policies. This committee was subsequently transferred to ICA oversight – and became the ICA Standing Committee on Professional Risks. Robert became Chairman of this committee in 2003 and continued as chairman until he stood down in 2010, pending his retirement.

In connection with his involvement in the ICA PI committee, Robert was regularly involved in industry meetings with State and Federal Government departments and Regulators, including Federal Treasury (especially the Insurance Contracts Act review), APRA (especially re the NCPD) & ASIC (especially re PI insurance for Financial Advisers and the development and review of RG126).

In addition to his involvement with the ICA committee, Robert was appointed to the following bodies:

• Professional Standards Councils (Federated Statutory Body) – Council Member of each State Professional Standards Council since 2005 – current
• Steering Committee of the APRA NCPD (National Claims & Policies Database) at its inception; and subsequently the NCPD User Group Committee.
• NSW Committee of AILA (Australian Insurance Law Association) from 2002 to 2010

Roberts is also a published author, including:

• Beaton, R and Colin Biggers & Paisley, The Architect & The Law (Second edition, 1994)
• Beaton, R, The Architect & Claims of Professional Negligence (1980)
• Beaton, R, ‘Claims Made Policies in Australia – At the Crossroads?’ Volume 25, No 1, ANZ Institute of Insurance and Finance Journal, page 30.