Coalition, an active insurance provider focusing on digital risks, has named Connor McKay as head of business development for Australia, tasking him with directing the company’s state-focused distribution strategy and broker engagement.
McKay joined Coalition in 2023 as national development manager, where he worked on expanding relationships with major brokers.
His career also includes business development and underwriting roles with Emergence Insurance and NM Insurance.
The new role is part of Coalition’s shift toward a state-based distribution model, supported by business development staff in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney.
According to the company, this structure is designed to improve local market knowledge, enhance broker relationships, and deliver faster, more tailored support.
Sam Weaver, general manager of Coalition Australia, said the organisation added more than 1,000 new policyholders during the last quarter.
“Our stronger local presence means we can truly understand and meet the unique needs of each local Australian market. We’re incredibly proud of our team that offers complete support, and with Connor leading the way, I’m excited to continue boosting cyber resilience for Australian organisations through our Active Insurance solutions,” he said.
McKay said he plans to collaborate with regional business development leads and broker partners to grow the company’s reach.
“We’ve built such a strong foundation since launching in Australia, now serving more than 5,000 customers and working with more than 1,000 quoting brokers. I look forward to working even more closely with our regional business development leads, along with all our broker partners, to bring Active insurance to even more businesses across the country,” he said.
Since launching locally in November 2023, Coalition has increased its Australian workforce to 22 people across multiple states.
McKay’s appointment comes after Coalition increased its standard cyber crime cover for eligible occupations to $500,000, equivalent to 25% of the total policy value.
The higher limit applies automatically to all new quotes, with options for up to $1 million available subject to underwriting review.
Coalition Australia head of underwriting Trent Nihill said the change aligns coverage with actual loss trends.
“Our recent Claims Report showed that the average FTF loss is now over $250,000, which shows there was a clear gap in the market. We are focused on improving cyber resilience for all Australian organisations. By doubling our standard cyber crime limit to up to $500,000, we can design a policy that meets the needs of our policyholders,” he said.
The change follows the release of Coalition’s 2025 Cyber Claims Report, which found that business email compromise and funds transfer fraud together accounted for 60% of global claims.
Nearly one-third of business email compromise-based (BEC) incidents involved fund transfer fraud (FTF), with average global losses from FTF reaching $290,000.
The report showed a 7% year-on-year drop in overall claims frequency but noted a 23% rise in the severity of BEC incidents.
Coalition said its policyholders lodged 73% fewer claims than the industry average, citing US NAIC data as a benchmark.
