Half a century ago, EBM Group, as it has become, was founded on a belief that putting people first was the key to success.
It has built a legacy of powerful partnerships, innovative insurance solutions and a presence that stretches across Australia and around the world – all built on good people and strong relationships.
Ironically, a customer centric approach is one of the immediate imperatives identified by PwC Australia in its December 2024 report, The future of insurance in Australia: Navigating change and seizing opportunities.
People power has been in EBM’s DNA from the very start.
It’s at the core of EBM Group’s success over half a century, and its strategy for the future – lasting growth with the right clients; empowering its people; partnerships that focus on shared growth; and a continued focus on innovation and quality, leveraging all that technology offers.
EBM people don’t believe in giving up or capitulating in the face of a challenge.
Perhaps it’s in the genes.
EBM Group’s Executive Chairman and one of its founding fathers, Alan Bishop AM, has always been a determined man with bold ambitions – and an appropriate note of caution to his character.
He was just 22 when he and Neville Elkington struck out on their own to form Elkington Bishop and Associates – a new insurance broking firm operating a small space above a pizza shop in suburban Perth.
It was an interesting time to start a new business. Australia was gripped in recession and the term ‘stagflation’ was used to describe rising unemployment and the kind of high inflation rates today’s young professionals would find hard to fathom (peaking at 18 per cent in 1975). Politically, the country was in turmoil with the sacking of the Whitlam Labor Government.
But none of that mattered to the founders of EBM – they were focused on their fledgling enterprise, excited about each client who entrusted their business to them and celebrated every ‘win’. The popular Rottnest Passenger Services ferry operators were the first of a few signature clients joining them in that first year.
Starting a business from scratch was tough, but Alan Bishop had huge faith in the business and in the years that followed would invest all he had – and all he could borrow from family – in building on his share of the company, and those early wins.
In 1977, John Molineaux joined the business and it became Elkington Bishop Molineaux (EBM) Insurance Brokers.
Over the decades to follow, EBM has withstood the recession of the early 80s and the ‘recession we had to have’ in the early 90s; the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
EBM hasn’t just managed through significant regulatory and structural change across the industry – it’s been keen to influence change and help guide the industry through turbulent times, always in the interests of its clients, its people and its partners.
EBM was a founding member of the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA), the peak body for licensed life and general insurance brokers in Australia, and a founding member of the Asia Australasia Alliance, which brought together broking firms from throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Alan Bishop has served as NIBA’s National President and EBM’s CEO and Executive Director, Ward Dedman as National Vice President.
EBM is the Australian partner to GBN Worldwide which reaches into more than 125 countries, and members of the largest, fully integrated international network of independent brokers and employee benefits consultants – the Worldwide Broker Network.
The Group’s deep connections in the insurance markets, including its status as a Lloyd’s Coverholder, give clients access to some of the most respected and innovative insurance products available worldwide.
Its national presence and global connections link directly back to EBM’s fundamental belief in good people, clients and partners.
“From our modest beginnings to a national presence with nine offices across Australia, our journey has always been shaped by the people we serve and those we work alongside,” explained Alan Bishop.
“Many of our clients have been with us since the beginning. Their trust – often spanning generations – is one of our greatest achievements and speaks to the calibre of our team and the culture we have created together,” he added proudly.
“We have grown through experience and diverse expertise and have taken the time to understand the unique challenges our clients face. We have built specialist services that meet our clients where they are, and when existing solutions fall short – we create new ones.
Mr Bishop points to EBM RentCover, founded in 1991 and now considered one of Australia’s leading landlord insurance specialists, as a prime example of EBM’s solutions-driven approach. He also highlights EBM CoverLink, launched in 2022 to serve the retail and micro-SME market, as another illustration of the Group’s ability to innovate and respond to client needs.
Rounding out the Group is EBM's original broking division, EBM Insurance & Risk, which has grown to become one of Australia’s largest privately owned insurance brokers. And CoverLink, established in 2013 facilitates the management of underwriting, insurance binders, facilities, and schemes for the Group.
“It is how our distinct products and services have come to support industries as diverse as mining, agriculture, transport and logistics, contractors, engineers, manufacturing and construction,” he explains.
CEO Ward Dedman, who has risen through the ranks at EBM over the past 25 years, identifies the Group’s emphasis on trust, integrity and connection as a key to past – and future – success.
“Our people are more than just skilled professionals; they are advisors, advocates, and above all, people who genuinely care.
"We aim to make every relationship we have count, whether that be within our teams, with our clients, markets, and other partnerships. This commitment lies at the heart of everything we do and how we act, and will continue to allow us to thrive."
Regardless of the challenges or uncertainties that lie ahead for the insurance industry, what is clear is that EBM Group will continue to be a business that lives by what it proudly describes as traditional values.
“The essence of EBM hasn’t changed,” shared Alan Bishop. “We remain fiercely determined and ambitious in applying all the resources at our disposal to develop the right and best results, whether for clients, our own people, partners or the industry. “
