Business Made Personal

People-first leadership in insurance begins with a willingness to give others your knowledge, time and belief.
In this episode of Business Made Personal, Mark Silveira speaks with Linda Bennett, Senior Claims Advisor and Broker Partner at Crawford & Company, about the experiences that shaped her leadership, insurance career and commitment to mentoring others.
Linda Bennett's insurance career started in Hobart in 1998 as a credit controller, not exactly the origin story most people expect from someone who would go on to spend over 23 years in broking and then move into a senior claims and broker partnership role at Crawford & Company. What shaped her more than any job title, though, was a childhood moment that forced her to stand on her own two feet at nine years old.
Independence forged early
When Linda was nine, her seven-year-old sister Katrina was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left her in intensive care on a ventilator. Linda's parents were at Royal Hobart Hospital around the clock for months, and Linda moved in with a family friend named Margaret Love. It was three to four months that changed her.
I became very independent at nine years old. I stood on my own two feet.- Linda Bennett, Ep. 148
That independence never left. Linda describes herself as fiercely protective of her sister to this day, and credits that period with forming the self-reliance that has carried her through a long professional life.
A caring instinct turned professional strength
Linda grew up wanting to be a nurse. Her mother worked in aged care for decades, bringing home washing from nursing home residents to make sure it wouldn't get lost. That level of personal investment in other people's wellbeing left a mark. Linda never made it to nursing, but she is clear that the caring instinct those early influences gave her became the foundation of her approach to leadership and client relationships in insurance. She describes herself as a hugger and a carer, and believes those traits are what made her the people leader she became across her career.
What this means for your career
Linda's story is a reminder that the qualities that make someone good at insurance work are often formed well before anyone steps into a brokerage or a claims office. The skills worth examining are not always the technical ones.
Your personal history, including the hard parts, can be the source of your most durable professional strengths.
A career that stays in one place geographically can still build serious depth and variety across roles and organisations.
The instinct to care for people, when applied consistently, becomes a leadership quality that is genuinely hard to teach.
Business Made Personal is hosted by Mark Silveira, exploring the real journeys of leaders in insurance, business, and beyond.
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For enquiries, collaborations, or to suggest a guest: mark@bmppodcast.com.au

Major complex loss in insurance is not just about technical expertise; it is about communication, judgement and the ability to guide people through pressure.
In this episode of Business Made Personal, Mark Silveira chats with Nigel Cook, Chief Executive Officer, Sedgwick Singapore, and Head of Major Complex Loss, Asia. Nigel shares how a trade apprenticeship in South Wales, an early move to Abu Dhabi, and decades as an expat have shaped his approach to engineering, loss adjusting, and leadership across international markets.
Nigel’s story moves from British Steel to the American Bureau of Shipping, New Zealand loss adjusting, Singapore and complex claims across Asia. Along the way, he explains why strong claims outcomes depend on more than policy interpretation. They depend on empathy, clear stakeholder communication and the discipline to keep people informed before issues go sideways.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
 How an engineering background helped Nigel understand complex claims 
 Why catastrophe response can take a personal toll on adjusters 
 How communication shapes trust in major and complex loss 
 Why Sedgwick is investing in younger adjusters through Pathfinder, Protégé and leadership development 
 How cross-border exposures are changing the speed and complexity of insurance 
For insurance professionals, brokers, adjusters, and business leaders, this conversation is a practical reminder that claims leadership is built on experience, resilience, and clear communication.
Business Made Personal is hosted by Mark Silveira, exploring the real journeys of leaders in insurance, business, and beyond.
Never miss an episode: Follow & Subscribe on https://bit.ly/bmp-Website
Join the conversation: Connect with us on https://bit.ly/bmp-LinkedIn
For enquiries, collaborations, or to suggest a guest: mark@bmppodcast.com.au

How Deniz Bekir is raising the standard of insurance claims begins with a simple belief: every claim deserves the very best expertise, professionalism and care.
In this episode of Business Made Personal, Mark Silveira sits down with Deniz Bekir, CEO and Principal Engineer at Silver Wolf Projects and Chairperson of the Association of Insurance Building and Engineering Consultants (AiBEC). What unfolds is more than a conversation about engineering; it’s an exploration of leadership, resilience and the responsibility professionals have to continually raise the standard of the industries they serve.
Growing up in a hardworking immigrant family, Deniz learned the value of discipline, education and doing your best from an early age. Those lessons would later guide him through launching his own consultancy during the Global Financial Crisis, building one of Australia's leading insurance engineering firms, and becoming a passionate advocate for improving professionalism across the insurance industry.
Throughout the conversation, Deniz shares why engineering is fundamentally about solving problems, not just analysing structures. He reflects on the challenges of assessing catastrophic events, leading teams through uncertainty, and supporting policyholders during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. He also explains why claims handling deserves greater investment, stronger collaboration and higher professional standards if the industry is to deliver the outcomes customers expect when they need insurance most.
In this episode, you'll discover:
 Why great engineering starts with solving people’s problems. 
 The lessons learned from building a business during the Global Financial Crisis. 
 How resilience and a positive mindset have shaped Deniz's leadership journey. 
 Why raising professional standards benefits insurers, service providers and policyholders alike. 
 The role ABEC is playing in the future of Australia's insurance industry. 
 Doing your best every day leaves no room for regret. 
Whether you're an insurer, broker, loss adjuster, engineer, builder or business owner, this episode offers practical leadership lessons that extend well beyond the insurance industry.
Business Made Personal is hosted by Mark Silveira, exploring the real journeys of leaders in insurance, business, and beyond.
Never miss an episode: Follow & Subscribe on https://bit.ly/bmp-Website
Join the conversation: Connect with us on https://bit.ly/bmp-LinkedIn
For enquiries, collaborations, or to suggest a guest: mark@bmppodcast.com.au

Insurance leadership is rarely a straight path, and few people understand that better than Ben Goodall.
In this episode of Business Made Personal, Mark Silveira sits down with Ben Goodall, CEO of Envest Broking and former CEO of PSC Broking, to explore a career that has taken him from aspiring musician to one of Australia's most respected insurance leaders.
Ben shares his unique upbringing across Melbourne, Queensland and regional Victoria, his early ambitions in music, and how a temporary role in the family brokerage unexpectedly became a lifelong career in insurance. Along the way, he discusses the lessons learned from building a regional brokerage into a nationally recognised business, navigating business ownership, leading large teams, and embracing change throughout his career.
Ben also opens up about some of the most challenging periods of his life, including the loss of his mother, managing intense business pressures, navigating regulatory scrutiny, and the personal growth that emerged from those experiences.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• How calculated risk-taking can accelerate career growth
• The leadership lessons Ben learned moving from entrepreneur to CEO
• Why delegation is critical for scaling both people and businesses
• How resilience is built through adversity and uncertainty
• The future of insurance, AI and the evolving role of brokers
Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating a major career transition, this conversation offers valuable insights into leadership, growth and the importance of continually adapting.
Business Made Personal is hosted by Mark Silveira, exploring the real journeys of leaders in insurance, business, and beyond.
Never miss an episode: Follow & Subscribe on https://bit.ly/bmp-Website
Join the conversation: Connect with us on https://bit.ly/bmp-LinkedIn
For enquiries, collaborations, or to suggest a guest: mark@bmppodcast.com.au

What does modern leadership in insurance actually look like?
In Episode 144 of Business Made Personal, Mark Silveira speaks with Lorelle Hillman, General Manager of Distribution at QBE Australia, about resilience, mentorship, gender equity, and the future of the insurance industry.
Lorelle shares her journey from Brisbane tennis courts and corporate travel into a 25-year insurance career spanning underwriting, broking, sales leadership, and executive management. She reflects on balancing motherhood with executive leadership, the lessons learned through personal loss, and why women must advocate for themselves in leadership conversations.
The episode also explores:
 Women in insurance leadership 
 AI and the future workforce 
 Mentorship and experiential learning 
 Industry evolution and innovation 
 Building resilient leadership cultures 
 Work-life balance and executive growth 
Lorelle also shares a passionate perspective on why insurance professionals should feel proud of their work and the impact they have on society.
Business Made Personal is hosted by Mark Silveira, exploring the real journeys of leaders in insurance, business, and beyond.
Never miss an episode: Follow & Subscribe on https://bit.ly/bmp-Website
Join the conversation: Connect with us on https://bit.ly/bmp-LinkedIn
For enquiries, collaborations, or to suggest a guest: mark@bmppodcast.com.au