Rachel Hopper (pictured), who has now worked in insurance for 28 years, fell into the industry like many before her, but not before wanting to be a police officer when she left school. Essentially turned away for her lack of experience, Hopper instead found a job in insurance and has not looked back since.
“Because I was very young at the time, the recruitment officer basically told me to go away and get some life experience; then once I had done that, maybe come back to them,” the Waikato native, who currently serves as commercial broker manager for Central North Island at PIC Insurance Brokers, shared when she sat down with Insurance Business.
“I got my first job as a receptionist / general administrator at a local insurance brokerage back in 1996. From there, it wasn’t long before my role developed, and I became a domestic rural broker. I then spent four years working at Willis in London and Belfast. When I returned from the UK – I’d already done eight years by that stage in the insurance industry – it never even crossed my mind to not carry on in the insurance industry.”
So, what is it about the industry that made Hopper stay for nearly three decades now?
“It’s the diversity,” she said. “You’re not doing the same thing day in and day out. You get to deal with a diverse group of people across a variety of industries. You are always learning. It’s an industry that’s exciting. No one day is ever the same, and there’s not many industries that you can probably say that about.
“And I enjoy getting to meet new clients and building those relationships… You’re there to provide a solution to their needs as best you can and to give them guidance and advice on what their risks are and how you can implement an insurance programme that is fit for their needs.
“There is nothing greater or more satisfying than being able to get a win-win for the client. The crux of it is helping people – that’s what we do. We help people. At the end of the day, you’re trying to help people navigate their way through something that can be very confusing.”
As a broker, Hopper believes a good job done is when a client is confident with their coverage, having understood their risks and what is being provided to protect them against those.
The commercial broker manager is also of the view that there are a host of opportunities that can be tapped into.
Hopper told Insurance Business: “I think there are opportunities with regard to things like cyber insurance, and New Zealanders tend not to think that they need it or want it. A lot of New Zealanders have always had that mentality ‘she’ll be right’, and I think it’s an opportunity to make our clients understand that some of those areas are probably areas that they need to think about.
“It’s making sure that our clients are fully aware of what’s going on so we can then ensure that they are as covered as they want to be. It’s just better understanding and keeping them informed all the way through the process, and keeping in touch with them so they do feel valued and ultimately trust you that the information that they’re being provided is as accurate and up to date as possible.”
“We are an essential service,” highlighted Hopper, who may not have had the chance to serve the public via the police force but has been helping people for years in her important role as an insurance broker.
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