Q&A with Wotton + Kearney’s 2023 Turning Point Competition winner
Nathan McLellan Vice President, First Party Claims – Asia Pacific, Liberty Specialty Markets
Nathan leads the First Party Claims team for Asia Pacific, encompassing Liberty's Agriculture, Marine, Energy, Property, Construction and Terrorism products. He is responsible for ensuring a proactive, technically sound, and commercially pragmatic Claims service across these product lines.
"Pick a topic you have a genuine passion for, be bold with ideas and be pragmatic with potential solutions."
What motivated you to enter W+K’s Turning Point competition?
W+K’s Turning Point competition created a unique opportunity to share ideas about the future of the Property, Energy & Infrastructure market, particularly given the rapid pace at which technology and the demands on insurance are changing.
I entered for the opportunity to contemplate how LEG2 and LEG3 might be revisited to optimally support the energy transition. I hoped to create conversation about these clauses and was fortunate enough to work with Matt Foglia who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the topic!
As the winner, you were able to travel to Norway for the Lillehammer Energy Claims Conference. Why did you pick that particular conference? What were some key takeaways and learnings?
The Lillehammer Energy Claims conference has long stood out as one of the world’s premier Energy Claims gatherings, and it is hard to argue with the exotic venue! I was particularly interested in the 2024 agenda because of the emphasis on carbon capture solutions, the focus on grid stability and equity in access to energy as renewables enter their ascendancy, the focus on the “voice of the customer” and the interactive “offshore claims in practice” sessions.
I hoped the conference topics would provide practical information about the technology and insurance issues that Australia will face as we progress through the energy transition in the years ahead. I was not disappointed. The conference gave me a lot to think about, especially in regard to carbon capture as an effective and necessary strategy to support an ongoing transition, ensuring reliable access to energy for a growing global population at different levels of economic development and the experience of the customer through the claims process. There was also a fascinating discussion about geopolitical risk and international energy security!
What are some tips you would give those looking to enter Turning Point in 2024?
Pick a topic you have a genuine passion for, be bold with ideas and be pragmatic with potential solutions. Choose from amongst the plethora of issues that will shape the Property, Energy & Infrastructure market in the years ahead with changing weather patterns, geopolitical uncertainty, new technology and construction techniques and of course, the energy transition.
Once you have your idea, think about how insurance can provide more certainty for our customers and perhaps society in a broader sense. How can our industry make a real difference? Last but by no means least, pair with a W+K co-author who shares your passion and stick to the word limit as best you can!
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