“I turned 70 last year and lots of people assumed I would be headed out the door into retirement,” said John Moon (pictured above). “But I honestly don’t see retirement in my future, any time soon.”
Moon is Crawford & Company Australia’s national technical head of global technical services and a national executive adjuster.
He joined Crawford in 1994. Insiders say the Sydney-based industry veteran still has the same commitment and drive as 30 years ago. The man himself jovially confirms that.
“I’m still going strong!” he said. “It’s the people that keep me at Crawford, we have a fantastic team.”
His loss adjusting career started more than a decade prior, in 1981 – well before the internet, electric cars or mobile phones. Moon has worked through a period of big changes and his deep experience is likely a significant benefit to Crawford in terms of training and development.
“I love what I do and, now at this point in my career, with all the knowledge I’ve built up over the many years, it is incredibly rewarding to support the younger talent progressing through the business,” he said. “When I was starting out, I distinctly recall learning so much from those around me who had far greater experience than me.”
Moon said these “conversations in the corridor” were very valuable for learning about current claims handling challenges. He wants to provide the same learning opportunity for the current generation.
“It’s how we grow and evolve as loss adjusters,” said Moon. “I’m thrilled I still have the energy to do what I enjoy and to be able to share my wisdom of experience within the Crawford GTS team provides great personal satisfaction knowing I’m positively impacting others’ careers.”
However, he said he understands that some might question how relevant much of his experience really is given the massive industry changes since he started.
For example, the regulatory environment has intensified.
“Industry players must now understandably adhere to the General Insurance Code of Practice, various stringent Service Level Agreements, the Australian Financial Services Licence regulations and other requirements,” said Moon.
When his career started, consumer protection bodies like the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), didn’t exist.
“All these are good and necessary changes to protect consumers from cowboys and to ensure a level of service quality,” said Moon.
Technology “has shifted massively,” he said, which means there’s always new things to learn.
“I may be the exception if I’m honest, but there’s not many adjusters still walking around loss sites with a clipboard and a pen,” said Moon. “Clients have their own portals which we must also work in so they can see the status on their claims in real time.”
This is one aspect of the job where Moon gets help from younger colleagues.
“So, it works both ways - we help each other,” he said.
Moon expects only more tech evolution in the years ahead.
“You only have to see the very impressive tech coming down the line from Crawford in the US where we are headquartered to see the changes ahead,” he said.
However, despite the regulatory intensification and the constant move of technology, Moon says his profession is fundamentally unchanged.
“Actually, the fundamentals of loss adjusting remain the same,” he said. Moon said the focus is still about promptly providing a top-quality service.
“Your advice must be sound, backed up by reasoning, you must explain that reasoning in plain English and you must do all that within a reasonable timeframe,” said Moon.
The loss adjusting leader’s current duties cover the more challenging end of the large and complex property losses that Crawford handles on behalf of insurers.
“I carry my own caseload so I’m actively assessing losses out in the field, which can be anything from a massive warehouse fire through to cyclone damage at a manufacturing facility,” said Moon. “As technical head, I also play a central role in coaching and peer reviewing the work of the wider GTS team.
An opportunity to rub shoulders with experienced industry colleagues is only weeks away.
The 2024 Insurance Business Awards is taking place on May 3 at The Fullerton Hotel in Sydney. The event recognises the hard work of insurance professionals across a total of 21 prestigious categories.
The black-tie gala dinner includes an awards ceremony and live entertainment.
See the full report for the Best Insurance Professionals and Brokers Worldwide here.
As sponsor of the photobooth on the night, Crawford is encouraging old and young professionals to take a few fun snaps during their evening of celebration.
