International niche insurer Delta Insurance has cleaned up at the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and
Finance (ANZIFF) New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards, with the company’s Group Executive Director – Underwriting and
co-founder Craig Kirk taking out the NZ Insurance Leader of the Year. Topping off a bumper awards evening, Delta
Insurance secured the coveted Underwriting Agency of the Year Award for the fifth consecutive year.
Additionally, senior underwriter Miro Dordevich made it to the finals in the Young Professional of the Year category.
The New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies across all
sectors of insurance and celebrate the positive impact they have made on the community. The Awards took place at a gala
dinner in Auckland on Wednesday 30 November.
Flushed – or blushed – with the company’s success, Kirk revealed on the night he only recently discovered he was a
nominee, and as a result beamed in his acceptance speech from Brisbane where he is attending a board meeting.
“With the quality of leadership across ANZ in this industry, I am humbled by receiving this award. I’d like to
acknowledge my peers and the entire Delta Insurance company. We work together as a team and we win as a team,” he says.
As a niche insurer, Delta takes an innovative approach to the market, seeking out risk in less-obvious places, then
creating solutions which help clients mitigate the perils produced in an unpredictable world. This is inherently more
demanding than providing general short-term insurance solutions but holds the promise of greater rewards as new
components of the market are unlocked, while providing an ongoing challenge for underwriters identifying opportunities
and creating innovative solutions.
Delta Insurance offers a diversified portfolio of 18 products across Financial Lines, Technology, Property,
Environmental and Specialty cover with a suite of risk management tools and risk experts to minimise client risk.
Award judges recognised Kirk for his work in reviewing Delta’s underwriting policy, aligning it with the company’s
vision of embracing change making the world a safer place and its core value of doing the right thing. Kirk has
recognised the necessity for proactivity and actively contributing towards driving positive change for the greater good
of the industry, and the communities it’s a part of and has put in place measures that see Delta supporting the right
businesses and avoiding those negatively impacting on the world and society.
This, says Kirk, is the company’s contribution to a sustainable and greener future within international best practice
standards.
“Our company is willing to forgo business opportunities for the sake of protecting the Delta brand; across all lines of
business, our underwriting decisions take into consideration the potential reputational implications of any unmitigated
ESG concerns,” he explains.
Kirk acknowledges that the end of economic boom times mark a challenging time.
“We’ve faced and overcome serious hurdles within our business over recent years which haven’t been easy on our team or
our leadership group. I’ve certainly learnt a huge amount throughout this period, and I want to thank our amazing team
for believing in our vision and plan as we transition into the next chapter of our journey.”
Commenting on making it to the finals in what turned out to be a highly contested category, Dordevich says he takes a
unique approach to underwriting, treating relationships with broking partners and clients as a tripartite alliance.
“In niche insuring, maintaining close contact with all parties achieves the best results. We can only offset risk if we
engage closely, understand clearly, and build relationships of trust. Our clients are always innovating, and as insurers
sharing the risks involved on the cutting edge, we play a part in driving the world forward. After all, innovation and
risk go hand in hand; when organisations and individuals can offset risk with insurance, their horizons expand.”
Closely involved with NZ Hi Tech sector, Dordevich says he routinely works with people who are engineering solutions for
the next wave of a technological future. He adds that in complex or specialised matters, there is no hesitation in
turning to outside advice for supporting expertise.
“We run a profitable book, and when you are breaking new ground in the risks you’re prepared to look at, care is needed
along with accurate insights. That’s something we take pride in at Delta; we share risk sustainably.”