Claims manager steps into NZILA Vice-President role

Resolve profiles NZILA’s new Vice-President, Petra Lucioli. She’s been a member for nine years and is Director and Group Claims Manager for Delta Insurance.

Q. Why did you join NZILA?
A. As a qualified lawyer working for an insurer and specialising in liability claims management, the intersection of law and insurance is pretty much my entire role, and the annual conference is the key industry event for me.

Q. What does NZILA mean to you?
A. NZILA enables me to remain up to date in the law relevant to my role but, more importantly, enables me to deepen my relationships with others working in the industry.

Q. What do you do in your role?
A. I am responsible for the claims function at Delta Insurance, an underwriting agency based in New Zealand and with offices in Singapore and Australia. I oversee a team of claims handlers who handle mainly liability claims.

Q: Some background on your career path?

• Lawyer in private practice in the UK specialising in civil litigation for eight years
• Moved to Zurich, handling solicitors’ professional indemnity claims and then moved on to manage the professional lines claims team
• Moved to New Zealand and conducted a series of project management roles
• Liability claims handler at Lumley
• Joined Delta at its founding eight years ago as Claims Manager
• Became a director of Delta last year.

Q. Why insurance?
A. I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of insurance claims, helping people to a successful resolution of their claim at what is a stressful time for them.

Q. What do you do in your spare time?
A. I fly light aircraft and am studying for a commercial pilot’s licence.

Q. What sports do you enjoy watching and/or playing?
A. Cycling, swimming, skiing.

Q. What's your favourite holiday destination? Why?
A.Anywhere I haven’t been before – I love finding out about new places and learning about the differences between countries.

Q. Describe your family members:
A. All my family are on the other side of the world, but we are very close and see each other (Covid-19 permitting) at least twice a year. Mum, in her 80s, still works as a university tutor. My brother does IT development remotely for Delta from the UK, so I work a lot with him. We’ve always had a close relationship, so this works well. I try (but probably fail) to be the cool aunt for my 12 and 14-year-old nieces.

Q. Do you have any pets?
A. Not right now but, if I could, I would have a dog.

Q. Who do you admire most and why?
A. My mum – she has an amazing work ethic and feels she has been very fortunate in life, so does a lot of political, voluntary and charity work to give back to the community.

Q. What would you never give up?
A. It’s got to be coffee.

Q. What are your favourite books/movies?
A. Elizabeth Knox is one of my favourite authors, The Vintner’s Luck is her standout novel for me.  Also, anything by Alexander McCall Smith for lighter reading. I’m not much of a movie fan but enjoy most of the Coen Brothers films.

Q. What’s your most embarrassing moment?
A. I am blessed with a very poor memory, which means I quickly forget anything too embarrassing!

Q. Scariest moment?
A. A serious car accident in my teens, not so much in the moment, but afterwards looking at the wreck upside down on the side of the road and realising I had been inside it.

Q. What do you fear most?
A. Spiders!