As issued to media by ANZIIF Friday 5 December 2020

The Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) and the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) is proud to announce Anna Graham of IAG as the winner of the 2020 ICNZ and ANZIIF Scholarship.

Anna is an Operational Risk Analyst at IAG and submitted a winning entry on this year’s topic question: Whether systemic, global risks such as pandemics can be diversified and if the insurance sector should make changes in response to future systemic risks? Anna will be awarded NZ $10,000, providing her with an excellent insurance industry or leadershipbased development opportunity to attend an international conference or seminar program.

“We are delighted to announce Anna as this year’s ICNZ winner,” said Tim Grafton, Chief Executive of ICNZ. “She displayed a clear understanding of the fundamentals and her essay was logical and well structured. ANZIIF and ICNZ will continue to promote this scholarship and provide career development opportunities to the New Zealand insurance industry.”

ANZIIF Chief Executive Officer and panel judge Prue Willsford commended Anna on her win. “I would like to congratulate Anna for submitting an eloquently written essay supported by credible research and relevant sources. I commend her for displaying a thoughtful approach and understanding of the broader community perspectives relating to this year’s topic.

“Previous winners have described the opportunity to attend an international conference or seminar as career changing and we are proud to provide Anna with an opportunity to further her professional career development,” added Willsford. “Thank you to everyone who submitted, I strongly encourage anyone thinking about submitting for 2021 to have a go.”

The ICNZ and ANZIIF Scholarship is an annual scholarship that aims to recognise outstanding insurance professionals who demonstrate potential to become industry leaders.