Karyn Hilton has been named Life Insurance Executive of the Year as part of the inaugural Money Management/Super Review Women in Financial Services Awards 2013.
Hilton is a risk specialist who heads up the risk department within the wealth advice division of chartered accountancy group William Buck, but came into the financial advice profession from the ground up.
After 12 years as a nurse, Hilton started her own planning practice with a freshly minted proper authority, a partner with limited industry knowledge and a willingness to back her own skills and convictions to succeed in providing quality financial advice.
Hilton sold this business in 2007 to focus on risk – and the earlier years of nursing were not wasted, with Hilton able to demonstrate a genuine first-hand understanding of the practical and emotional issues surrounding risk insurance.
Since then Hilton has continued to provide risk advice to clients. She writes about $700,000 of new risk each year while also educating advisers and paraplanners within William Buck to sharpen their skills in the area of risk insurance.
Her education work extends outside the business through articles and presentations to potential client groups, with a target market of health professionals straddling her two areas of expertise and knowledge.
Hilton’s nomination stated she was “meticulous in her approach to her work in risk insurance, and has great capacity in dealing with inquiries ‘after the placement’ of cover, in both reassurance of client concerns and handling of claims”.
“She has remarkable empathy for people involved in the claims process, and I have witnessed this from various written endorsements from highly satisfied customers, extolling her virtues as a compassionate and caring person, and her willingness to see the job completed to her high standards.”
Hilton’s desire and ability to assist and help others is also evidenced by her mentoring work through the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) of two other female advisers, helping them develop their planning and risk insurance skills. Hilton’s advice is also sought by Onepath and Asteron, where she serves on their advisory boards to provide product development and oversight of each company’s interface with the industry.
Not content to assist others just at work, Hilton is also the president of Adelaide Hills Kiwanis Club which helps less fortunate people and families to get back on their feet.
Click here to find out more about the winners in the Women in Financial Services Awards.
