Visionary leader Ian Carr honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award

At the 2025 ANZIIF Australian Insurance Industry Awards in Sydney, Ian Carr founder of Insurance Advisernet (IA), was honoured with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award — a fitting recognition for a man whose ideas and integrity have reshaped the broking profession.

Born in Hobart on July 2, 1956, Carr entered insurance in the early 1970s straight out of school, joining Australian Fire and General. What began as a first job became a calling that would span nearly 50 years. Over the decades, Carr not only transformed the businesses he led but also redefined how an entire industry operates.

“I started originally in Hobart, then moved to Perth and later Sydney,” he recalled. “That took 20 years in the corporate world.

"The company I was working for was taken over by another broker, and I decided to start my business up from scratch — with the blessing of my wife. If you have a dream, it burns away at you.

"You don’t need to be a certain type to be successful. Good people, no matter how old they are, will thrive if they follow through on their convictions.”

From kitchen table to industry giant

In 1996, with four young children and the support of his wife Marcelle, Carr founded Insurance Advisernet from the family kitchen table. His vision was bold: create an Authorised Representative (AR) network that would allow advisers to focus on advice while outsourcing compliance and administration.

At the time, the AR model was virtually unknown in Australia. Starting with just 12 representatives — many of whom remain with IA today — Carr nurtured the network into one of Australasia’s largest broker groups, now encompassing more than 270 practices and over $1.8 billion in gross written premium.

“The AR model wasn’t easy,” Carr admits. “It’s simple to look at and think you can do it, but it takes courage, determination and belief.

"When you start a Greenfields business, you’ve got to stick with it. We sometimes joke that we’re a 30-year overnight success.”

Among his proudest achievements was launching Australia’s first purpose-built AFSL for ARs — a model that is now the industry standard. His approach gave advisers independence while providing the resources of a national network.

“In regional areas, brokers didn’t always have access to insurers in the capital cities,” he explained. “But they had strong client relationships. What we did at IA was bring in the technical broking expertise to support those relationships. That mix really worked.”

Leadership with respect

Carr’s success has never been measured solely in scale. He is known for leading with humility, listening before speaking, and treating people with respect.

“There’s this generic view that young people aren’t what they used to be,” he said. “I don’t think that’s true. There are gems out there — beautiful people who are very good at what they do. Once you find them, you know. Every time we’ve done that, they’ve been very successful.”

Under his guidance, Insurance Advisernet invested heavily in technology while never losing sight of its purpose. Partnering with Microsoft, IA created a cloud-based system to streamline risk advice, quoting, emergency repairs, and data insights. But Carr has always been clear about the role of innovation.

“Innovation gets thrown around a lot, especially now with artificial intelligence,” he says. “Things we did 12 months ago are already outdated. But they’re just enablers. The real business is people talking to clients, giving insurance and risk management advice.

"AI will assist, but it will never replace the relationship. That’s the strength of the IA network.”

Building beyond the business

Carr’s vision extended beyond IA. He was a founding committee member and inaugural Chair of AIMS (Austbrokers IBNA Management Services), forging strategic partnerships and bespoke products that reshaped broker–insurer relationships across the country.

His white paper on the Future of Advice outlined four pillars — Advice, Professionalism, Technology, and Services — that now underpin IA’s operations and influence industry thinking more broadly.

Equally significant has been his mentorship. Many young professionals credit Carr with not only advancing their careers but supporting them personally during times of challenge.

“In corporate life, young people can get overlooked,” he says. “But courage and passion go further than years of experience. I’ve always tried to back good people, whatever stage they’re at.”

Giving back to the community

In 2015, Carr launched the Insurance Advisernet Foundation, reflecting his belief that success carries a responsibility to give back. What began as a way to coordinate charitable giving across IA has grown into one of the broking sector’s most significant philanthropic initiatives.

With IA matching every dollar donated by its representatives, the Foundation has raised more than $3.5 million for community organisations, including over $600,000 in 2024 alone.

“We were often asked to contribute to different charities, which we did,” Carr explains.

“But we thought it would be better to harness that through a foundation. We said to our people: if you donate, we’ll match it dollar for dollar, and together we’ll decide where it goes. That way we can really support those who need it most.”

The initiative has strengthened IA’s culture of generosity, reinforcing Carr’s view that businesses should be measured not only by profit but by the good they do in the community.

A future for the AR model

Nearly 30 years since its founding, Carr believes the AR model is still only beginning to realise its potential.

“It’s a great model because brokers can outsource administration to a central hub and tap into the resources of the network,” he says. “The future is about providing professional advice. It’s not about price — it’s about advice. That’s where real value lies.”

For an industry often preoccupied with labels, Carr has a simple perspective: “Whether you call them brokers, international brokers, or ARs, they’re still providing professional advice and risk management. As soon as the industry gets over the labels and focuses on professionalism, everyone will be better off.”

A humble honour

On accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, Carr was characteristically modest.

“Humbled — that’s the first word that comes to mind,” he says. “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had great people support me through the journey. While I might have started it all, we’ve now got a great team and everyone has contributed to the success.”

Read more about the 2025 ANZIIF Australian Insurance Industry Awards winners/a>