5 minutes with Elders Insurance Essendon Agent, Shaun Bannister

Shaun Bannister, from Elders Insurance Essendon, is with his customers for the long haul. His business philosophy centres around going that step further for people - and it’s seen him through more than twenty years in insurance.

“I’m always honest and do the best I can for my customers. I’ve known many of them for a long time and want to make sure I repay them for sticking with me. We do everything we can to make sure dealing with Elders is a great experience.”

A career in insurance wasn’t always the plan though. As a young man, Shaun had dreams of becoming a fireman but it turned out he wasn’t destined for that calendar. Shaun became an insurance trainee with QBE in 1996, a move that saw him protecting people in a different way.

Shaun credits quality people and relationships for the great start to his career and much of his success

“I got to where I am through luck, timing and working with great people – both work mates and customers.   

“In the early days at QBE, I had an amazing boss in Bob Smith. He created a close-knit team and we looked out for each other. I respect that a lot. I appreciate team-orientated people. Today, I have the best staff in Kath and Janelle. Also, a special mention to Noel Moody, who I’ve worked with since 1996.”

One of Shaun’s proudest moments was setting up the Agency in 2008 and today he’s been building valuable long-term relationships with his customers since.

“Some of my customers are actually great mates of mine rather than clients. I’m about building real relationships based on trust and loyalty – that’s what drives me. That, and my competitive streak. Being fake won’t get you anywhere. I know my customers feel that and value the way I look after them, and that’s why they stick with us.”

Shaun said he still loves what he does, counting baked goods and colourful people as highlights.

“I love my job. A perfect day is on the road visiting my farm clients face-to-face. There’s nothing better than great convo, hot coffee and home-made scones."

“I’ve had some bizarre claims over the years. Once a client of mine lost his glass eye while playing sport. Apparently the opposition got their hands on it and threw it over the fence. I laughed, thinking it was a joke, only to find out he was serious!”

Shaun added that one thing he is serious about is the community.

“We sponsor football, netball and the Whittlesea Show. We always try to give back to the community. On the work side, we focus on small businesses in the local area.”

 And if you don’t recognise Shaun from Elders Insurance Essendon you might recognise him from the movie.

“Not many people know I was a child actor in the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome movie. How embarrassing is that?”

If you live or work in the Essendon area and would like to discuss your insurance needs, you can email Shaun here.