Very early in his career, Chris McHugh discovered the inspiration that comes from making things work better as part of a team, and he has been drawn to leadership roles ever since.  

Recently appointed as CEO of Allianz Partners Australia, McHugh says he’s looking forward to working with his new team to develop aspirations around what is possible when people learn how to motivate themselves and others.

‘I’m also excited about creating work experiences that build personal and organisational legacies,’ he says. ‘That is the leadership impact I seek to achieve.’

While he perceives each leader’s style as a ‘very personal construct’, McHugh says there are particular nuances of critical importance within the insurance sector.

‘Insurance makes a meaningful difference to people’s lives every day — it is a highly authentic, empathetic and individualised business,’

he asserts. ‘As such, characteristics I believe are essential for insurance leaders to have today are empathy, care, adaptability, relentless clarity, purpose and resilience.’ 

Surrounded by great people

Although he has never had a traditional mentor, McHugh says a vast array of people have been influencers, demonstrating great humanity, courage, energy and drive, intellect, selflessness, resilience and commitment. 

‘I have drawn learnings and inspiration from all of them, which has shaped me both professionally and personally,’ he says. ‘Insurance is an admirable and crucial industry offering a marked blend of commercial and positive social impacts. Every day I am surrounded by great people whose commitment to serving and supporting others is immense.’

McHugh’s move to Allianz Partners in Brisbane is the first role he has taken outside Sydney, where he was born and educated. He started his career in the New South Wales Police Force, gradually working his way to the rank of detective inspector while studying his Bachelor of Commerce part-time at Western Sydney University.  

His first foray into insurance was as a risk management consultant at GIO. That experience gave him a ‘great insight’ into the challenges clients face both operationally and strategically.

‘The role also gave me an understanding of the full gamut of risk mitigation strategies organisations need to deploy, as well as a real appreciation for the breadth of service and support that insurance professionals provide,’ says McHugh.

Shaping industry change

The ensuing exposure to many lines of insurance prompted McHugh’s long-running involvement in workers compensation and nurtured his appreciation for the role insurance plays in supporting people at critical times in their lives.  

‘I was very drawn by the complexity and purpose of workers compensation,’ says McHugh. ‘That’s why I developed the genuine passion for the personal injury sector that led me to run workers compensation, CTP, life insurance and travel portfolios at Suncorp for the last 15 years of my insurance career.’

He says one of the highlights of his career was creating Australia’s largest personal injury insurer with the help of a great team over a decade. ‘I’m enormously proud of the progressive approach we took to personal injury. We adopted industry-first operating models and new approaches to shaping and building markets that saw us develop a sustained market leadership. 

‘This, coupled with my contribution to national and state reform to improve customer outcomes and a comprehensive leadership role in community and disability sector support, have been great achievements.’

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