Delta Spotlight - Neil Grote

While Neil Grote started his career in the grocery sector, a quick pivot to insurance soon meant he’d found his niche. Nearly a quarter of a century later, Neil has honed his skills in claims and recovery, and has taken up the position of Claims Manager for Delta Insurance.

Looking back, he recalls that his first forays into recovery with a major underwriter immediately demonstrated a move in the right direction. It didn’t take long before leadership skills shone through, and soon Neil was a team lead. Advised that claims experience would prove necessary and invaluable to career progression, he moved in that direction, again rapidly rising to team lead, before moving into an auditing role at the same underwriter.

A stint in Commercial Motor claims saw Neil build a team of 30 staff and 3 team managers; when the underwriter was sold to NZI, Neil served as Claims Centre Manager working with the same team.

An ability to build teams of loyal, focused and motivated people has served Neil well, including his most recent stint at a leading insurance service management provider, where starting from scratch, he soon established a competent and high-performance group as Third-Party Association Manager. Passionate about customers and believing differentiation comes from getting service right every time, Neil has a singular focus on creating excellence through efficiency, sound documentation, and proven processes.

When an opportunity at Delta arose, Neil jumped at the chance to apply his skills at an ambitious, growing, and widely respected firm. He’s looking to effective positive change, contribute, and grow the company. “I knew Delta’s business, the culture and values, and the people. In fact, Delta was a customer…”

Claims, he says, is the sharp end of the insurance value proposition and perhaps the best opportunity for demonstrating service. “The rubber hits the road when a customer suffers a loss. That is when we must show service.”

Outside the office, Neil is a keen runner, a dedicated family man, and has been spotted in the gym from time to time.