Applications for the 2026 WK APIG Scholarship are now closed.

WK APIG Scholarship (Australia)

The annual Wotton Kearney APIG Scholarship supports the development of young professionals practising in professional indemnity and financial lines insurance in Australia.

For over a decade, the annual Australian WK APIG Scholarship has recognised outstanding contribution and talent in our industry and connected the successful candidate with a lifetime educational experience aimed at enhancing their professional career.

The scholarship takes the form of AUD$9,500 towards attending an international conference of your choice with direct relevance to your career. Funded by Wotton Kearney, past scholarship winners have attended the international PIF Conference at Cambridge University in the UK and taken part in a hosted visit of Lloyd's in London.

Prize / Learning Package

The 2026 Scholarship Package consists of AUD$9,500 funding towards attending an international conference of your choice directly related to professional indemnity insurance or your specialist product area.

A key part of the package is for the winner to share their experience with APIG members on return by way of a brief update and video Q&A.

Entry Criteria

• Applications for the Scholarship were open to current APIG members under the age of 36 on the submission close date.
• Applicants must be actively involved in financial lines or professional indemnity insurance in Australia.
• Approval from your company / employer to attend your nominated conference.
• Members of the APIG National Committee and employees of Wotton Kearney are ineligible.

2026 Winner

Roger Wong, SURA Technology Risks

Congratulations to Roger Wong at SURA Technology Risks on being awarded the 2026 WK APIG Scholarship.

Applicants were asked to identify a major issue in their area of insurance and propose how it could be resolved. Roger impressed the judging panel with his submission on ‘Information Asymmetry in the World of Cyber Insurance’, exploring the importance on helping small businesses better understand the benefits of cyber risk management beyond insurance claims support.

View Roger's submission here.

Previous winners

2025 – Dominic Parkes-Dolan, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Dominic's submission highlighted a looming demographic shift across the sector, with an ageing workforce and significant retirements creating a potential structural talent gap. He argued this is not only a workforce issue, but a broader strategic challenge for an industry being reshaped by AI, regulation, and rising client expectations. His recommendations focused on accelerating leadership development, improving perceptions of insurance as a career, and strengthening the importance of soft skills such as communication and adaptability alongside technological change.

View Dominic's submission here.

2024 – Grace Coleman, Senior Claims Specialist, AXA XL 

Grace's video submission The Risk of Digital Monocultures explored the vulnerabilities created by modern infrastructure's reliance on standardised systems, using a hypothetical worldwide cyber event to illustrate how a single threat could trigger widespread disruption. Her submission stood out for offering both short and long-term solutions tailored to the Australian market.

View Grace’s submission here.

2023 – Ben McCallum, Senior Claims Advisor FINEX, Willis Tower Watson 

Ben's submission examined the imposition of cyber exclusions in PI and D&O policies, using real-life breach scenarios to expose potential coverage gaps for third-party claims. The judging panel was impressed by his practical recommendations for brokers and insurers to develop tailored market solutions in response.

View Ben’s submission here.

2022 – Ben Hine, Vice President and Claims Expert, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions 

Ben's submission on financial lines insurance as a tool for fighting climate change and bolstering energy security impressed the panel for bringing genuine thought leadership to a topic rarely associated with the financial lines sector. His proposals included a green risk fund developed collaboratively between insurers and government to drive product innovation and positive environmental outcomes.

View Ben’s submission here.

2021 – Raymond Loh, Senior Claims Specialist International Financial Lines, AXA XL 

Selected from a record number of applications, Raymond's submission tackled the commercial tensions that arise when insurers hold different interests within D&O insurance towers, proposing practical resolutions including super limit layers and standardised excess wordings. The panel praised the clarity and precision of his delivery.

View Raymond’s submission here.

2020 – Nikolce Stojcevski, Senior Underwriter Financial Institutions, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance 

Nik's submission addressed the challenges facing SMEs in accessing adequate professional liability insurance, arguing that consolidating data across the industry could meaningfully improve coverage availability for financial planners, mortgage brokers and similar businesses.

View Nikolce’s submission here.

2019 – Kelvin Hui, Senior Account Manager Professional Risks, Proclaim 

Kelvin was selected for his forward-thinking proposals on making PI insurance within the construction sector more viable, and the broader positive ramifications for the market in doing so. He also demonstrated an active role facilitating industry seminars on domestic construction issues.

View Kelvin’s submission here.

2018 – James Skiba, Senior Claims Officer, DUAL Australia 

James's submission analysed the rise of Securities Class Actions and the implications for D&O policies, making a compelling case for reforms to continuous disclosure obligations and litigation funding to protect both shareholder rights and corporate access to adequate insurance cover.

View James’ submission here.

2017 – Mitchell Spurr, Complex Claims Examiner, AIG 

Mitchell's submission on the growing exposure of directors to climate change-related claims secured him the win from a competitive field of over 20 entries, with the panel noting its thought-provoking framing of an emerging risk that was only beginning to gain market attention at the time.

View Mitchell’s submission here.

2016 – Michael Forster, Suncorp Group 

Michael's application stood out for its unique approach to integrating technology and modern management techniques within the financial lines industry, drawing a creative parallel to recent updates to Sherlock Holmes as a lens for reimagining the sector.

View Michael’s submission here.

2015 – Kristine Salgado, Willis Australia 

Kristine won the inaugural WK APIG Scholarship for her thought-provoking account of the way forward for the insurance industry and her contribution to financial lines at such a young age – setting the tone for a program that has since recognised outstanding talent across a decade of competition.

View Kristine’s submission here.

APIG thanks Wotton Kearney for its generous support.