Rhiannon Wharepapa never planned a career in insurance. After finishing school, she took a gap year job to save money for university. But a steady income proved more appealing than a student loan, and when she mentioned to a friend that she was looking for a stepping stone to something more, the friend told her about a job vacancy. Rhiannon applied, and that was the start of her insurance career.
That casual conversation was Rhiannon’s first step to falling in love with an industry she barely knew existed and set her on the path to being recognised as one of Insurance Business Magazine's Rising Stars of 2025.
From stepping stone to career foundation
"I definitely thought that insurance would be a stepping stone, and then I'd maybe get into banking or something similar," Rhiannon admits. "But I fell in love with insurance, and I've been here ever since."
When she started in a processing role at Vercoe Insurance Brokers, Rhiannon knew almost nothing about insurance. "I didn't know what third-party insurance was. I knew that you had to have car insurance, but that was about it."
What struck her immediately wasn't the technical complexity of insurance - that would come later - but the opportunity to change perceptions. "I liked being able to show people that insurance is a positive thing. You need it to protect yourself. Protect your assets, protect you, especially if you're in a position where you can't afford to replace everything if something does go wrong."
The power of curiosity
What sets Rhiannon apart is an unabashed curiosity about her clients' businesses - and a willingness to admit it. "I'm nosy," she laughs. "I'll go out to a business, and I'll ask what is this machine? What do you use it for? How did you get into this industry? And then they start talking and you can learn so much about their business."
Rhiannon recognised early that curiosity is good for business. "I feel that's when I started to pick up business because they knew I was actually interested in what they were doing. Not just there to make a dollar."
Client visits are a cornerstone of Vercoes' approach, and Rhiannon is often out on the road. This face-to-face relationship building is her favourite part of the job. "I love going out to see what clients are doing, and they seem to enjoy talking to me because they're so passionate about what they do. That’s what I love - and obviously helping them at claim time as well. You want a good result for your clients and to show them that the money they're paying is worth it."
Commercial insurance has become Rhiannon's speciality because she feels it offers a wide variety of covers. “One client might need professional indemnity or cyber cover, while another might need material damage and business interruption. You're dealing with so many different types of businesses."
Small town advantage
While some might think working in a small regional town could be limiting, Rhiannon views it as an advantage.
Rhiannon says being in a small town helps balance the technical and human aspects of insurance. "I'll go out to play sports or walk through town, bump into clients and have a conversation with them. That all helps to build up strong relationships. I think it would be a lot different if I were in Auckland, where there wasn’t such a strong community connection."
While some clients prefer the efficiency of email and phone calls, the majority of her clients prefer face-to-face interaction - and Rhiannon believes that personal touch provides a competitive edge. "Lots of people are worried about AI changing what we do, but it will never replace personal relationships.”
That's not to say Rhiannon is resistant to technology. Far from it.
Leading change
When asked about AI and digital transformation, Rhiannon reveals she’s been leading the introduction of AI at Vercoes. "We're currently looking at new AI solutions, and I've been the team lead for that, which is very exciting." At the time of this interview, she was working on a project that was nearing completion and about to roll out in the next couple of weeks.
Rhiannon is proud that she pushed for Vercoes to adopt new technologies. "I was one of the staff who asked why can't we be the ones who start using AI? We don't want to be the last to do it.” When an opportunity presented itself to work with a company helping introduce AI solutions in broking, Rhiannon jumped at it.
The solution being rolled out addresses a pain point Rhiannon and her colleagues experience daily - administrative burden. "A lot of our quoting and meetings with clients are very admin-heavy. We come back to the office, and type up the submission and send it out to insurers. This solution will streamline that process."
In other words, AI will do what it does best - handle the clerical work and free up brokers to do what humans do best - build relationships. "So that we're not stuck behind a computer," Rhiannon explains.
Eight years of change
Rhiannon's eight years in insurance have coincided with significant industry upheaval. When she started, "it was comparatively easy to pick up business. Everyone had more money to spend."
Then came Covid-19, which created uncertainty across the board. "While premiums stayed largely the same, no one knew what was happening, and we had to work with businesses that were losing turnover.”
When weather events began driving premiums sharply upward, brokers found themselves managing client expectations through difficult conversations. Vercoes’ own office flooded twice during two different weather events – and they ended up managing the highest level of claims they’d ever had.
Those years of rapid change taught her the importance of adaptability – one of the key attributes cited by the Rising Stars judges, along with digital fluency, emotional intelligence, and client-centric thinking. "I think all of those attributes are important," Rhiannon says diplomatically. "But adaptability is probably one of the biggest ones. The industry changes so much and so often, you have to be able to adapt.”
Growth through initiative
Vercoes has grown significantly during Rhiannon's tenure. She estimates there were only about ten people in the Morrinsville office when she started, and today it employs 20 people across two locations – Morrinsville and Matamata.
Rhiannon's own progression within that growing firm has been remarkably swift, and she attributes it to one key factor: asking for more. Within just a few months of starting in processing, Rhiannon told her boss, "Actually, you know what, I really like this and I want to be in your seat one day."
When processing no longer felt challenging, she went back to her managers and asked what else she could do, how she could keep learning? “They could see that I wanted to grow, so supported me by giving me more and more work."
She was given the opportunity to join client visits, shadow experienced brokers, and continuously expand her knowledge. "That's how I've been able to move up so quickly," she reflects. "But having great bosses who actually listen to you, take you on those visits and don't hold back their knowledge - all of that is obviously important."
For Rhiannon, Vercoes’ two women owners have been her role models. "I love working here, I love the team and my managers. I work with two women who have owned the business for a long time, who I look up to immensely. I just want to follow in their footsteps."
A career-defining account
One particular success story captures how relationship-building and persistence can transform a career. When Rhiannon first started, she looked after a very small domestic account - just home, contents, and vehicles. Nothing fancy. Nothing that suggested future potential.
The clients appreciated that Rhiannon was responsive, available, and genuinely interested in their needs. Then one day, they asked her to quote on their commercial insurance. That account has become her largest. She had no idea when she was processing their home and contents policies that commercial opportunities lurked beneath the surface. It's a lesson she's never forgotten.
The recruitment challenge
At the university and high school career days Vercoes has started attending, Rhiannon talks about the variety in the role. "No two days are the same. You deal with so many people. It is actually exciting, and you get to help people, which is the main thing that people love about insurance."
But getting young people to even stop at her stall takes effort. At a recent Waikato University career day, Rhiannon found herself having to actively attract attention. The breakthrough came when they started talking about how people with law degrees or other qualifications could find opportunities in insurance, particularly in claims. "That got people thinking ok maybe insurance is an option," Rhiannon says.
Rhiannon identifies several barriers to recruitment. First, there's a fundamental lack of financial education in schools. "Young people don't understand the different types of insurance available or why they might need them. Financial literacy around investing is limited, and insurance understanding is even worse.”
Second, insurance simply sounds boring to young people. When Rhiannon tries to counter that perception, she emphasises variety, relationships, and purpose. "You get to help people," she stresses.
Third, people don't realise the diverse pathways available in insurance. "There are so many avenues you can go down. You can be broking, you can be in a call centre, you can be in claims, or you can be an assessor. Her advice to young people considering insurance is straight-forward. "Just give it a go. If you don't like one part of the industry, you can try something else. Just get into the industry and give it a go."
Gender and opportunity
Rhiannon has noticed a significant change in industry demographics during her eight years. "When I first started and we would go out to professional development days, a lot of the directors were men. But as time has gone on, that has changed a lot, and there's more and more women in the industry now."
She sees insurance as offering unusual opportunities for rapid progression compared with other industries. "I've been able to progress quickly in my role, which is different to my friends who went to uni and are still trying to work their way up."
Having female business owners as mentors has also clearly shaped Rhiannon's view of what's possible in her career. The insurance industry's willingness to reward talent and hard work, regardless of gender or formal qualifications, stands in contrast to other traditional career paths.
Looking ahead
At the time of this interview, Rhiannon was preparing to welcome her first baby and head off on parental leave. She plans to take 12 months off while handling a few key accounts - testament to both her value to the firm and the flexibility that modern insurance workplaces can offer.
Does she see her long-term future in insurance? "Yeah, absolutely. And here at Vercoes as well."
Rhiannon Wharepapa is an insurance broker specialising in commercial insurance at Vercoe Insurance Brokers in Morrinsville. She was recently named one of Insurance Business Magazine's Rising Stars of 2025 for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. When not visiting clients or implementing AI solutions, Rhiannon plays touch rugby and netball and welcomed daughter Lacey in January this year.
