A former lawyer has won Australia's national award for young brokers. The win comes in a year when industry research found that brokers under 30 make up just 11% of the profession and most brokerages are pursuing growth.
Lockton's Alyssa Sanfilippo was named the 2026 Vero Young Broker of the Year at the NIBA Convention on the Gold Coast. Judges cited her initiative in identifying emerging client needs, her expertise in complex placements and her passion for the profession.
Sanfilippo practised law before she moved into broking. She receives a tailored learning program worth $10,000 for her continued professional development.
NIBA's Data to Direction report, which drew on responses from 418 brokers alongside APRA data, found that those aged 18 to 29 account for 11% of the general insurance broking workforce. That share is level with brokers aged 60 and over, and the median age across the profession is 44.
According to the report, brokers tend to enter the profession at mid-career, a pattern it linked to limited early-career pathways or delayed entry. It also found that 85% of brokerages surveyed were pursuing growth or opportunistic growth strategies, and that some firms were acquiring whole teams to secure capability and client relationships.
Brokers handled $35.6 billion in intermediated gross written premium in FY25, or 46% of all general insurance written in Australia, according to the same research.
Read more: NIBA builds a convention pathway for early-career brokers
Sanfilippo's path to the national final began in Melbourne on July 17, when she won the Vic/Tas title from a shortlist on which Lockton held two of three places.
Fellow Lockton broker Ashleigh Woodman and Jessica Cudia of Simplex Insurance Solutions were the other finalists.
Lockton Australia runs an Ignite Cohort for staff aged 35 and under, along with a national mentoring program, a Leadership Essentials Accelerator Program and study assistance.
In March, Lockton Pacific chief executive Marcus Pearson said the firm intended to grow its Australian workforce by 20% through recruitment while "most of our competition are taking headcount out."
Lisa Harrison, chief executive commercial and personal injury at Vero, said Sanfilippo was a well-deserving winner among a high-calibre group of finalists. Vero is Suncorp's main intermediated brand and sells only through brokers.
"Alyssa stood out for her initiative and commitment to finding innovative solutions for her clients, which is a hallmark of outstanding brokers," Harrison said.
Read more: Aon takes both NSW/ACT broker awards as NIBA data shows early-career entrants at their lowest share
Sanfilippo was chosen from five state winners. The others were Laith Parissi and Emily Booth, both of Aon, Isabella Moran of Howden and Thomas Lawrie of Astute Insurance Services.
Aon supplied two of the five national finalists. No Aon broker won either national NIBA broker title across the six award cycles from 2020 to 2025.
The field started with a record 96 nominations from early-career brokers. A national panel interview makes up 50% of each finalist's score, and the professional development program and the Vero Young Broker Alumni Experience count for 25% each.
The award, which Vero has backed since 1990, recognises the professionalism, contribution and potential of the profession's next generation.
This year's convention was scheduled to include NIBA's first dedicated program for early-career brokers, with a masterclass led by past Young Broker of the Year winners.
The national title is the final stage of a professional development program, which this year took the five finalists to Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
There, the group connected with the local community, volunteered at the Central Kimberley Football League Grand Final and saw the impact of a $25,000 Vero community grant that the previous year's finalists had selected.
According to Vero, the trip gives emerging brokers a perspective on community resilience and recovery, together with professional development and leadership opportunities.
This year's finalists chose Harcourt Football Netball Club in Victoria for the next $25,000 Vero Community Grant.
The club has served as a community meeting and recovery space since the January bushfires, and the money will fund repairs and upgrades such as a new barbecue, netting and safety poles.
Harcourt, near Bendigo, sits in the area hit by the January 2026 Victorian bushfires, which the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) declared a catastrophe across 18 local government areas. By August, more than 4,860 claims worth almost $600 million had been lodged, according to the ICA.
Under the program's rules, the five state winners choose the recipient between them, and Vero funds the grant without approving the selection.
