For Ali Wilkinson, Head of Pacific Operations at Tower, a standout moment in over 25 years in insurance, was her team’s response to the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami in Tonga on January 15 this year.

‘We had to be innovative and nimble,’ says Wilkinson, who won the 2022 ANZIIF Making a Difference Award — Claims.

‘With internet and communication cables severed by the eruption, international communications were cut off for five weeks. We had to receive information and share instructions by satellite phone.

Despite the setback, Wilkinson’s team ran radio ads advising all people of Tonga how to protect their assets from further damage and how to make a claim.

‘We learned from previous large events in the Pacific that inflation of building materials becomes an issue when rebuilding begins all at once,’ she says.

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