Gallagher Bassett (GB) has appointed Ben Sheat to the newly created role of general manager for insurance, to oversee the overall management and performance of the national self-insurance unit.

Based in the firm's Melbourne office, Sheat, who joined GB in March as national self-insurance manager, said he was excited to lead the growth of the company's fastest-growing products amidst the changing landscape in Australia.

“One of the things I love about the self-insurance industry is that it tends to move quickly, and it’s always evolving,” he said. “Just this month we’ve seen the federal government announce that it’s opening up the Comcare scheme, allowing federal agencies and departments to partner with third-party administrators for the first time. That’s creating a lot of opportunities to roll out innovation and improvement in those portfolios.”

Sheat brings to the role more than 10 years of experience in the personal injury industry, having served as a practitioner, technical specialist, leader and senior manager in both the self-insurance and workers' compensation scheme, including Comcare.