Five minutes with… Dorette Oatway, Underwriting Officer at IUA

Q. When did you start with IUA and how did you come to join the company?

A. I started at IUA on 4 October 2022, so I’m quite new to the team. This is my first role back in the insurance industry after a four-year break. I was essentially semi-retired and after doing some travelling and some other things I’d always wanted to do, I began to feel a bit restless. So, I decided I wanted to go back to work.

Q. Where else have you previously worked?

A. Before my career break, I’d worked in the insurance industry for almost 30 years. I spent most of my career in insurance broking, working for businesses such as Heath Lambert, Scott Winton Insurance Brokers and Ausinsure.

Prior to this role, I spent some time working in underwriting with Guild Insurance, focused on SME underwriting for pharmacy businesses. I’m now enjoying specialising in one particular product line, which is business interruption insurance.

Q. Why did you choose to join the insurance industry?

A. When I left school, I knew I wanted to work in the finance industry, either for a bank or an insurer. I joined a school leavers program at AMP and got my start in the insurance industry.

Q. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

A. When I’m not working, I enjoy travelling and doing all the normal things that people do, such as watching Netflix, shopping, eating out with my family and listening to music. I also have a dog whose name is Jack, a chihuahua cross Russell terrier.

Every few weeks, we like to spend our weekends in the Hunter Valley.

Q. What’s something other people find interesting about you?

A. I was born and grew up in Mauritius, and my parents moved to Australia when I was 15 in search of more opportunities and a better life for our family.

A bit of trivia about me – as a child back in Mauritius I was part of a kid’s singing and dancing group and we used to perform on TV, a bit like Young Talent Time here.

Dorette can be contacted by email dorette.oatway@iua.com.au.

Miramar Underwriting Agency Pty Ltd t/as Interruption Underwriting Agencies Pty Ltd (‘IUA’) acts under a binding authority as agent for certain underwriters at Lloyd’s, the insurer of the product.