The winner of the Scholarship receives a package valued at up to AU$8,000 including return travel, accommodation, $1,000 cash and registration to one of the following overseas conferences of their choice:

• 2021 Eastern Claims Conference
• 2021 Life Insurance Conference
• 2021 Supplemental Health, DI & LTC Conference

If international travel restrictions are still in place when your chosen conference is scheduled, the prize may be awarded as cash in the sum of AU$8,000.

In addition to the major prize, the winner is invited to sit on the judging panel alongside senior industry leaders for next year’s scholarship and receives automatic membership to ALUCA and TurksLegal’s scholarship alumni program, Life Insurance Future Thinking (LIFT). The 1st runner-up will receive a AU$1,000 Visa pre-paid gift card and the 2nd runner-up will receive a AU$250 restaurant voucher.

Entrants are asked to submit a paper (2,500 words max) addressing one of the 7 topical life insurance industry questions in the application form.

The Scholarship is open to all members of ALUCA regardless of country of residence. Each entrant must be a current financial member of ALUCA and work in the life insurance industry. Lawyers, accountants or medico-legal consultants who meet the above criteria are eligible to enter provided they are direct employees of life insurance companies, life reinsurance companies, superannuation trustees or superannuation administrators. Please note you need to be a current member of ALUCA to apply.

Submissions are assessed on:

• Understanding of and insight into the chosen topic
• Conclusions supported by sound evidence and research
• Clarity of thought
• Commercial insight
• Presentation

The judging panel comprises the following senior industry leaders:

• Jenny Oliver, Chief Claims Officer, TAL
• Gavin Pearce, Chief Operating Officer, Life & Investments, Zurich
• David Campbell, Chief Operating Officer, MetLife
• Malcolm Weir, Financial Services Executive
• Jeremy Houghton, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, AIA
• Linda Winterbottom, Claims Rehabilitation Consultant, RGA Reinsurance
• Cy Lindeberg, Health Support Consultant, BT Financial (2019 Scholarship winner)
• Mark Raberger, Chair of ALUCA and Head of Health, MetLife
• Alph Edwards, Partner, TurksLegal
• Darryl Pereira, Partner, TurksLegal

The 2020 winners were announced at the virtual ALUCA Life Insurance Awards on Thursday, 22 October 2020.

Honor Grant-Hennessy, Senior Group Underwriter, OnePath Life/Zurich, has been awarded this year’s prestigious ALUCA Turks Scholarship for her paper on ‘Responding in Times of Emergency’ looking at how life insurers and superannuation trustees can positively change how they interact with their customers during times of social and economic interruption.
The 1st runner-up is, Suzanne Whyte, Senior Claims Consultant, RGA for her paper on ‘Unfair contract terms’. Suzanne wins a $1,000 Visa pre-paid gift card. The 2nd runner-up is Troy Williams, Corporate Counsel, TAL Life for his paper on the future of IP cover. Troy receives a $250 restaurant voucher.

Click here to read the full announcement.