Pete Diskin: On the ground and around the globe

Volume 48 issue 1

In July 2025, Pete Diskin celebrated 28 years of working in insurance. Not only that, but he’s spent the past 25 years with the same insurer — claims management provider Gallagher Bassett.

It’s a career that’s taken Diskin from Australia to the United Kingdom and back again, liaising with the company’s international operations in New Zealand, Singapore, North America and the UK.

And at the core of Diskin’s work is excellence in claims management and customer experience.

“Effective communication, empathy and the willingness to develop a deep understanding of our clients’ needs are essential to delivering great outcomes,” says Diskin, who is chief client officer and deputy CEO, Australia, at Gallagher Bassett.

“The key to providing an outstanding customer experience is exceeding expectations, and that’s what we aim to do.”

A question of trust

Diskin started his insurance career in surveillance, as a private investigator confirming legitimate workers compensation claims and detecting employee theft and workplace drug use.

“I was 17, the youngest licensed private investigator in Australia, as granted by the courts,” says Diskin. “My time in surveillance and claims investigation was invaluable and a great way to begin my career in the industry. I couldn’t think of a better grounding for the career to follow.”

That early experience, says Diskin, taught him that most claimants were doing the right thing – “although the nature of my job often had me focused on those few exceptions”.

“It was also a great way to learn that no two claims are identical and that on the other end of the transaction is a person depending on us,” he adds. “Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned in my early days was that trust is a two-way street.

Trust is the bedrock of the insurance industry and the only way to build trust is to act with integrity. I’ve carried this learning with me throughout my career.”

The global stage

Diskin says that one of the benefits of working for a global organisation is the opportunity to travel.

When he moved from his role as national product manager to international product director in 2017, the company asked him to relocate to the UK, “with the specific purpose of establishing the company’s Lloyd’s of London footprint for its UK operations”.

This remit was extended to leading the growth and retention strategy for Gallagher Bassett’s UK and European markets. 

“The UK insurance sector and Lloyd’s of London are the historical epicentre of the insurance world. I absorbed a lot in my time working there,” says Diskin.

“Lloyd’s essentially operates like a market. The Lloyd’s building is an open gallery with four floors of underwriters. Brokers will roam the floors, meeting with underwriters who sit in a ‘box’ and secure insurance for their client’s liability.

"Then, brokers will continue meeting with underwriters representing different companies to ensure they are 100 per cent insured. Underwriters will also often use this forum to collaborate and share risk. 

“It’s a fascinating way of doing business and it’s the way it’s been done for a long time. Lloyd’s truly is remarkable in its ability to insure the most obscure, complex but necessary risk exposures as a market syndicating together.”

Diskin says that working internationally has benefited him both professionally and personally. 

“Exposure to diversity in markets has enhanced my adaptability and broadened my understanding of global business dynamics,” he explains.

“Interacting with varied client bases has sharpened my communication skills and deepened my cultural awareness, giving me a more complete understanding of the unique needs of clients no matter where I am.

“It’s also reinforced my sense of purpose and the purpose of our organisation to execute on the promise of insurance following a loss.”

Amplifying good service

While Lloyd’s of London still expertly leverages its age-old market solution to insurance risk and underwriting, claims management and customer service have undergone incredible digital transformations over the course of Diskin’s career.

“Technologies like AI, advanced data analytics and machine learning are exciting developments for the industry,” says Diskin. “They promise a lot, offering faster, more efficient claims processing and greater accessibility through online means.”

That’s a huge advantage for a company like Gallagher Bassett, which handles 800,000 new claims annually on behalf of its global client base.

At the same time, Diskin says that digital tools haven’t changed the fundamentals of customer service.

“Adopting new technologies provides increased power and scalability, but the real benefit is freeing up more time and resources to focus on the areas that matter most to our customers,” he says. 

“We know the importance of balancing technology with human interaction to ensure clients feel heard and supported throughout the claims process.”

Five in five, with Pete Diskin

What’s your top productivity hack?

Pick up the phone and talk to your teammates and your clients. Don’t hide behind or rely on email — make a phone call. 

What’s the most underrated leadership skill?

Listening. It needs to be your number one skill, coupled with collaboration and not trying to solve every problem yourself.

Often, the team around you will come up with a far better solution that one person relying on siloed experience. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Take time to understand every moving part within your organisation. If you are in claims or underwriting, spend time understanding finance or IT.

You will not only need that knowledge at some point, you’ll need the relationships you form in those areas. 

What’s one thing you want to learn more about this year?

I am very interested in the machinations of the insurance market and the hard and soft cycles we experience.

It has knock-on effects as a customer (me buying insurance), for our clients who buy insurance and their risk exposures and, ultimately, the back end of that — the resultant claims. 

If you weren’t in insurance, what would you be doing?

I love sport, all sports. I would have pursued sports journalism or sports management, but I really do love insurance and, in my view, it remains the most underrated career path.