Aidan Fitzgerald wins 2024 Donna Walker Emerging Talent Award

Aidan Fitzgerald, head of Engineering, Sedgwick New Zealand, started his insurance career as a protégé loss adjuster with limited insurance experience. 

Fitzgerald, the 2024 winner of the Donna Walker Award for Emerging Talent, says he worked hard to become “a qualified major and complex loss (MCL) adjuster", before being offered the role of head of engineering in November 2023.

Nurturing curiosity

Fitzgerald’s father, an electronic engineer, sparked his early drive to understand how everything works.

“As a child, I was mesmerised by dad’s ability to know the unknowable,” he recalls. “He knew how TVs and computers worked, down to the functions of individual components.” 

The experience led Fitzgerald to explore machines and electronics, which sometimes got him into trouble. 

“I dismantled our lawnmower — it never ran again, but it was fascinating to see how the engine was constructed and understand how it operated. I also set off a dry powder fire extinguisher at home as a child, to see what would happen.” 

Fitzgerald initially wanted to design cars and engines and given this passion, his father suggested marine engineering. Despite not coming from a maritime background, Fitzgerald obtained a degree in marine engineering and had a fulfilling 13-year career in the merchant navy.

While working at sea, Fitzgerald encountered marine surveyors who carried out inspections to verify that repairs and overhaul work were completed correctly. They also reported to insurers where any damage was the subject of an insurance claim.

Anchoring into insurance

Soon after Fitzgerald decided to seek a shore-based role to prioritise family time, he was drawn to an advertisement from Sedgwick in New Zealand, “looking for someone with an inquisitive mind to work as a marine surveyor/ loss adjuster".

Fitzgerald fit the bill. Excited that the role would allow him to apply his technical expertise to marine and engineering insurance, Fitzgerald, his wife and their two young children (aged 1 and 2) left Ireland for New Zealand.

Fitzgerald knew he had found his niche.

He quickly recognised that the insurance industry was a very demanding environment, with significant development opportunities. “The variety and technical nature of the claims captivated me, and I haven’t looked back since,” he says.

“I embraced new challenges and growth opportunities, leveraging my background to excel in this dynamic field, where I have developed from an adjuster into the head of mechanical/electrical engineering.”

Prioritising professional development 

Fitzgerald says investing in professional development is essential for growth and staying relevant in any career.

Since joining the industry, he has dedicated himself to expanding his skills and knowledge, including completing a comprehensive diploma in loss adjusting through ANZIIF.

This equipped him with theoretical knowledge that complemented his practical experience. 

Achieving the title of certified insurance professional (CIP) and senior associate member with ANZIIF marked significant milestones in his professional career.

He graduated from Sedgwick's Protégé scheme, having gained invaluable mentorship from experienced professionals, particularly in the areas of marine and engineering claims. 

Hands-on experience leading large liability claims and providing expert witness testimonies inspired his interest in studying liability claims further.

He is currently enrolled in an ANZIIF Skills Unit, Settling Liability Claims, and plans to undertake further education with ANZIIF.

Leading the future

“Staying abreast of developments in the insurance, marine and engineering industries is crucial to my professional growth,” he asserts. 

Developing a team of mechanical and electrical engineers to deal specifically with engineering claims is an achievement he is very proud of.

“It makes Sedgwick a one-stop-shop for engineering claims, as we are able to provide professional opinions on cause and repair cost to ensure the correct outcome of claims,” he says. It will minimise the additional costs and delays associated with appointing external engineering consultants.”

Fitzgerald’s current role at Sedgwick involves training other adjusters in their pathway from novice to MCL adjuster.

“I enjoy seeing my team develop from strength to strength,” he says. “It’s important to guide team members in achieving their own professional goals, including pursuing ANZIIF exams and professional registration in their respective fields.”

This mindset has made him instrumental in driving expansion and development within the engineering team, working with management to implement strategies to attract and retain qualified professionals.

Positive outcomes for clients

Fitzgerald also loves “researching and learning about unusual machinery, so the claims process and associated costs can be dealt with accurately and fairly.

“I have delved into state-of-the-art robotic surgery machines, rocket propulsion systems, very old hydroelectric generators, geothermal turbines and helicopter engines and gearboxes,” he enthuses. 

Recently, when faced with a lead time of 11 months for replacement components for a large fire-damaged diesel engine, he suggested using the undamaged parts from another engine that required replacement as an interim measure.

The insured were able to reinstate the engine in two weeks, yielding a positive outcome. 

“I’ve had similar results with other claims where, following a cost-benefit analysis, we established that an expensive repair to a badly damaged machine could actually result in significant business interruption savings in the long term, and also minimise the insured’s downtime,” he says.

Since starting in loss adjusting, Fitzgerald has seen dynamic developments in how claims are adjusted, with more insurers looking to appoint engineering loss adjusters to mechanical/ machinery breakdown claims. 

“Sedgwick has adopted a hub approach, with groups of specialised adjusters who can collaborate,” he says.

“For example, a complex liability claim with both engineering and business interruption elements will be dealt with by adjusters in each specialised hub. This can lead to better and more precise outcomes than having a single adjuster trying to deal with everything. Having multiple people working on the claim fosters a greater number of creative ideas when it comes to achieving the best outcome.”

Technology and the human element

Fitzgerald says he is enjoying his current role, and the future looks bright with more specialisation of adjusters helping find the right one for the right claim on the cards.

“With regards to technology’s part in insurance, there are developments, such as high-quality 3D scanning and printing, that together could result in obsolete or difficult-to-manufacture parts or parts with a long lead time being produced locally in a fraction of the time,” he says.

“AI could have a large impact on how contracts and legal documents are quickly interpreted. Scanning tools and modelling software are becoming more and more useful for building damage claims. 

“However, I think the human element is going to be involved in insurance for a long time yet,” he asserts.

Read more about the 2024 Donna Walker Awards