Two specialist Australian insurance businesses have made senior appointments that reflect where each is directing investment - GT Insurance building operational infrastructure around its claims-focused broker proposition, and Aviso Specialty expanding its affinity and schemes capability in a segment that includes gig-economy and sharing-economy risks.
GT Insurance, the Allianz Australia-backed specialist underwriting agency serving the transport sector - covering heavy motor, bus and coach, plant and machinery, commercial motor, taxi, rideshare and hire vehicle risks - has appointed Arron Mann as chief operating officer. The hire follows a period of deliberate investment in the firm's claims operations: GT Insurance launched a major overhaul of its claims process in March 2026 and has publicly prioritised broker experience and claims outcomes as central to its growth strategy.
Mann brings senior claims and operations experience from QBE, where he held general manager roles across short-tail claims and claims for QBE Australia Pacific. He departed QBE in June 2025 as part of organisational changes at the insurer. Earlier in his career he held a general manager claims role at AmGeneral Insurance Berhad in Malaysia, connected to its IAG partnership. He also holds graduate membership of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
GT Insurance said Mann will focus on operational processes and outcomes for brokers and customers as the business continues to develop its operations.
Aviso Specialty, the specialist insurance broker with seven offices across Australia operating under the Aviso Group network, has appointed Dimitri Hursalas as head of affinity. Based in Sydney, Hursalas will work alongside James Wallace, manager of schemes and affinity, across the company's existing team and client relationships.
Hursalas brings more than a decade of insurance experience with a focus on the entertainment and leisure sector and, more recently, affinity and sharing-economy insurance. His background includes work on affinity programs through Marsh involving Ride Protect and Sherpa - insurance arrangements covering rideshare, delivery and other gig-economy drivers. He has also worked with small and medium-sized businesses, associations and their members on tailored insurance solutions for specific client groups.
The gig-economy and sharing-economy segment represents a structural growth opportunity for affinity broking. The number of Australians engaged in platform-based work has grown steadily, creating demand for insurance products designed around non-standard employment arrangements - cover that does not fit neatly into traditional personal or commercial lines but suits affinity structures built around specific worker communities or platforms.
