Aon: With you when it matters most

This is sponsored content for Aon Newcastle.

It was three days after Christmas and Greg Silcock had just returned to 25 Watt Street after his meeting with a key client, preparing for another quiet day as part of the office's skeleton staff over the holiday period.

Just minutes later he heard what sounded like an explosion at the Newcastle Herald printing press. Then came the shaking - the building swayed from side-to-side, the ceiling collapsed, and the lights turned off.

It may be 30 years ago, but for Mr Silcock, then a senior client manager and now strategic account director for commercial organisations for Aon in Australia, the memories of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake remain fresh.

The earthquake measured 5.6 on the Richter scale, killed 13 people, and injured more than 160. Newcastle City Council estimated the damage bill at around $4 billion.

That morning Mr Silcock rushed home to his family and found the house in disarray, with cabinets fallen over and belongings smashed. Mercifully, his daughter had slept through it all.

His next priority was ensuring his clients, which included local organisations and businesses, were taken care of.

"I saw first-hand the devastating impact to our Newcastle clients who had previously had long-standing, financially successful businesses," he said.

Staying in contact with clients in the immediate aftermath of the quake was paramount.

"Communications were not like they are now," says Mr Silcock.

"We had a mobile phone the size of a shoebox. We were making calls from our office and home landlines at all times of day to stay in touch with clients, assess their immediate needs and connect with insurer partners."

For 13 hours the next day, Mr Silcock and colleagues worked closely at the site of one of their key clients, which had suffered severe damage. Tragically, several people lost their lives there that day, including two staff members.

For clients who had suffered financial, psychological and emotional stress, Aon (formally AA Alexander Stenhouse) staff acted as part of their rebuilding team, "... offering counselling and support when clients weren't sure of their future."

This experience helped Mr Silcock build a team that was dedicated to personal relationships, a sentiment that still exists today in their branch of 20 people.

In the aftermath of the quake, clients were faced with asbestos clean-up, severe property damage, and some were faced with finding new operating premises. Mr Silcock and the team supported them all.

"The first three months were a virtual blur with no break. We worked long days and nights keeping on top of claims."

Impacted clients were given around-the-clock access to Aon staff and services after the quake, with some clients supported for two to three years where required.

For Mr Silcock and the team, no issue was too small. At the time, "Newcastle was the worst natural disaster in a commercial area. We were able to support our clients because we understood their business, had paid attention to detail and took no shortcuts," Mr Silcock said.

Thanks to the efforts of the team, two weeks after the earthquake, significant partial payments for several large clients had been arranged, enabling them to get back on their feet. This included negotiating a $1 million payment for a key client - a huge amount 30 years ago!

"Insurance is like a parachute - you want to make sure it's there when you need it," Mr Silcock said.

"There were frustrations, but our clients knew we were there for them. Many of them are mine and Aon's clients still today."

For more information contact Aon Newcastle on (02) 4920 3700 or visit aon.com.au/newcastle

This is sponsored content for Aon Newcastle.