The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) has named the Western Australia recipients of its 2026 Broker of the Year and Young Broker of the Year awards, with the results falling in the same year that the profession’s own research quantified its early-career pipeline as the smallest of any age cohort – even as nomination numbers for the young broker award reached an all-time high.
KBI is a Perth-based specialist brokerage that is 100% owned by its employees and directors, focusing on niche sectors including directors’ and officers’ insurance, property and strata, mining and resources, and technology and life sciences. Tarr’s win for the independent firm over a finalist from Aon – which holds an estimated 13% of Australia’s intermediated general insurance GWP, placing it third nationally behind Steadfast Group at 34% and Marsh at 20% – reflects the award’s reach across firm sizes and ownership structures.
As national winner, Tarr would be eligible to undertake a short-course executive education program at NYU Stern School of Business in the April to June 2027 intake, or a comparable program at a London business school selected by CGU. All state winners attend the CGU On-Country Immersive Experience and Capability Building Workshop, a three-day, two-night program involving travel to regional locations and meetings with Indigenous partner organisations.
NIBA CEO Richard Klipin said: “Congratulations to Brooke on a well-deserved win. We wish her all the best as she heads into the national awards in October. The finalists have shown what it means to lift professional standards in how they support their clients and their community, and they should be very proud of that.”
Scott Gangell, national manager, international brokers at CGU, said: “Congratulations to Brooke, our WA Broker of the Year. Her commitment to going above and beyond for her clients is evident in everything she does, and that’s exactly why CGU is proud to partner with NIBA on this award.”
In February 2025, Howden acquired Bunbury-based broker Major Insurance Services, further expanding its presence in Western Australia after rebranding Unicorn Risk Solutions under the Howden name. NIBA’s Western Australian representative on the board, Brett Piggott of Willis Temby Insurance Brokers, was appointed in February 2025, reflecting the mix of independent local brokerages and multinational firms represented within the profession’s leadership.
Moran’s win arrives in a year when the Young Broker of the Year award drew a record 96 nominations nationally – the highest in the program’s history, according to NIBA. The figure sits in tension with data from the same organisation: NIBA’s June 2026 report Data to Direction: Insights from the General Insurance Broking Profession found brokers aged 18 to 29 represent just 11% of the national broking workforce – the same proportion as those aged 60 and over, and the smallest share of any age cohort. The two largest cohorts are brokers aged 40 to 49 at 31% and 30 to 39 at 28%, with a workforce median age of 44. A surge in nominations for a young broker award against a backdrop of the profession’s smallest early-career cohort in the data record is itself a market signal worth watching.
Shane Butcher, Vero’s state distribution manager for WA, said: “Isabella set herself apart in a highly competitive field this year, demonstrating a clear commitment to her clients, colleagues, and the broking profession. At Vero, we are passionate about backing the next generation of broking leaders and Isabella is exactly the kind of young professional we’re proud to support.”
Klipin said: “NIBA is delighted to see Isabella being recognised, and we wish her the best of luck for the national awards. Every finalist has shown what it means to lift professional standards in how they support their clients and their community, and NIBA thanks them for it.”
Tarr and Moran join a growing national field. Two days prior, on July 8, Deb Gibson of Aon and Laith Parissi, also of Aon, took out the NSW/ACT titles in Sydney. The 2025 WA awards went to Charles Elders of Avoca Insurance & Risk and Tom Wheeler of Lockton, meaning both WA titles have changed hands in 2026.
With 85% of brokerages in the Data to Direction survey reporting growth or opportunistic growth strategies, and the earliest-career cohort at just 11% of the profession, demand for entry-level talent is both structural and ongoing. In response, NIBA will introduce a dedicated young professionals program at the October convention – the first early-career track in the event’s history – with a masterclass facilitated by past Young Broker of the Year award winners.
The 2026 NIBA Convention runs from October 18 to 20 at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast, where the national Broker of the Year, Young Broker of the Year, and Lex McKeown Trophy will be announced at the gala dinner on October 20. NIBA president Nick Cook said: “NIBA’s award program is an important platform to recognise the exceptional talent that is leading our profession towards being future ready.”
