Her Story
About Narelle
Narelle Handley is a Loss Adjusting Manager with more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Her expertise centers on property insurance claims, loss adjusting, and reconstruction and mitigation. She is returning to Australia to resume a role in loss-adjusting management after working in the United States. Narelle began her career as an assistant to a loss adjuster and advanced through roles at major firms including McLarens, Crawfords and Sedgwick. She earned her loss-adjusting diploma after returning to school while raising two young children. Her professional credentials include Senior Associate with ANZIIF. Affiliate Member of AICLA, and IICRC Water Restoration Technician certification. From 2012 to 2022, Narelle served as Chairman of AICLA Victoria, where she introduced continuous professional development programs including the annual iAdjust training event, launched the Inspiring Women initiative, and morphed the AICLA Victorian Awards, which grew from 82 to in excess of 900 attendees throughout her years. She attributes her success to passion for the industry and the support of her mother and sister. Narelle values integrity, caring for others, and mental health awareness, and she has assisted in raising guide dog puppies, alongside her husband for Guide Dogs Victoria.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Narelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
Being passionate about my industry. I’ve always been passionate about the insurance and loss adjusting industry. I still genuinely enjoy what I do. I love the people, the challenges, the problem-solving and, most importantly, the opportunity to make a real difference to people when they are often going through one of the most difficult times in their lives.
A big part of what has shaped my approach to my career has also come from the women in my family.
My mum has always been an incredible example of resilience and determination. She went back to work when I was 2 and showed me, through her actions rather than words, what it means to be independent, work hard and keep moving forward. She taught me that you don’t wait for things to happen — you get on with it, find a way and make it work.
My sister is another huge inspiration to me. She is a powerhouse in her industry, working in an environment that is fast-paced, demanding and constantly changing. Watching her career and the way she has navigated challenges has taught me a lot about strength, resilience and backing yourself.
Both of them have influenced the way I approach my own career. They’ve shown me that success isn’t always about having the easiest path. It’s about having the resilience to keep going, the confidence to put yourself forward, and the ability to adapt when things don’t go according to plan.
I think that is also why, after all these years, I remain so passionate about my industry. There are always challenges, always something new to learn and always an opportunity to make a difference.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
To stand up for myself and ask for what I want. Because what's the worst they could say? No? And for me, ‘NO’ means next opportunity. It means go after the next opportunity or start that new task!
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Take it with both hands and be passionate about what you do. Be the driver of your own career.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is keeping up with the increasing complexity of claims, rising costs, regulatory expectations and, importantly, customer expectations. However, I also see a huge opportunity in this. Technology will help us work smarter, but we must recognise experience and genuine human connection will still matter. There is a big opportunity in bringing those things together to make the claims process better for both the customer and the industry.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For me, it comes down to integrity, family, loyalty, resilience and always trying to do the right thing.
I believe in doing a good job, being honest, continuing to learn and not being afraid to admit when I don't know something.
I value the people around me and believe in sharing my experience, helping others and giving back to an industry that has given me so much.
Most importantly, I believe in staying true to yourself, having the courage to make changes when you need to, and always moving forward.
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