Premium Funder of the year award 2006

26 July 2006

Macquarie Premium Funding was named Premium Funder of the Year at the Australian and New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards 2006.

The Awards, hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) and Asia Insurance Review (AIR), unite all sectors of the insurance industry to publicly highlight and celebrate the industry's outstanding achievements.

ANZIIF CEO Joan Fitzpatrick chaired the fourteen member judging panel and said that the panel of insurance industry experts was impressed by a commitment to service: "Macquarie Premium Funding's commitment to high service levels is reflected not only in their innovations but also in their performance standards, with 90% of loans being approved on the same day".

Ms Fitzpatrick also said Macquarie Premium Funding displayed a solid commitment to the industry:"Their responsiveness to meeting industry needs is supported by an emphasis on training and I offer my congratulations to Macquarie for being recognised as Premium Funder of the Year."

In accepting the Award, Macquarie Bank's head of Insurance Broking Services, Mr Paul Cilia, said: "We are honoured to have been named ‘Premium Funder of the Year".

"When we started developing our premium funding business we spent a significant amount of time talking with our broking clients and key industry representatives to determine what they wanted from a premium funder. We then introduced those requirements into our business.

"The fact we have been able to achieve so much in a relatively short period of time reflects the outstanding input we received from brokers in those early stages, so this Award is as much theirs as it is ours.”

Mr Cilia said Macquarie Premium Funding’s innovative services and features had been driven by client need, and this 'client-led' approach would remain its focus for the foreseeable future.

"Our aim is to continue delivering solutions that meet our clients' ever-changing needs so we can assist them achieve business growth in an increasingly competitive environment.

The "Premium Funder of the Year" award was judged by a panel of industry leaders on the following criteria:

• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the market
• Responsiveness to the needs of insurers and brokers
• Innovative Technological solutions
• Business retention & growth
• Sound financial management
• Outstanding customer service
• Professional standards.

The Awards were presented at a gala held at the Sydney Hilton Hotel on 24 July.

For further information, please contact:

Suzanne Houweling,
Senior Media Manager
Banking Division
Tel: 61 2 8232 7029
Mobile: 0410 499 034