Meet the team

With over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Damian has built a diverse and accomplished career spanning multiple facets of the business. His expertise includes sales and distribution, underwriting, operations, governance, strategy, and claims management - demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the insurance landscape. 

Since joining DUAL in 2021, Damian has played a pivotal role in integrating the liability and property businesses. He currently leads underwriting operations, strategy and partner engagement, while also supporting the governance and management of the Property and Motor binders. Damian is known for his strategic insight, operational leadership and commitment to delivering value across the insurance value chain. 

Emily Coates is the head of CSR & Sustainability at DUAL Australia and New Zealand and sits on the DUAL Australia Reconciliation Action Plan Employee Representative Group.

She has worked in the insurance industry for 12 years and has a Bachelor of Business (Insurance) and post graduate degree in organic farming and nutrition.

In 2021, Heather joined DUAL Asia Pacific as Executive Assistant to Damien Coates, the CEO. She is now the head of Executive & Facilities at DUAL Australia and New Zealand.

She has worked in the insurance industry for nearly 35 years in both London and Sydney, emigrating to Australia with JLT in 2010 and has a Bachelor of Business (HR).

Since being at DUAL, Heather has led various projects that include relocation of all Australia based offices.

Adrian joined DUAL in 2019 as a Senior Underwriter in Melbourne after having spent 7 years at Chubb. He became Assistant Regional Manager in April 2020 and was promoted to Southern Regional Manager in 2023 where he manages our brokers across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania as well as our Southern Underwriting team based in Melbourne.

Eleanor Bunting started her career as a financial lines coverage and liability solicitor in private practice following completion of a Bachelor of Laws (hons). Following 8 years in private practice and various secondments with local and international insurers, Eleanor moved into the DUAL Australia claims team in 2018 and has been the National Claims Manager since 2021. 

Having lived and worked in London, Singapore, and now based in Sydney, Jordan joined DUAL in 2024 to lead the M&A Insurance team. With over 10 years of experience in M&A, he has developed extensive expertise in underwriting and managing warranty and indemnity / representation and warranty transactions across the US, Europe, and APAC. 

With over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Melanie combines deep expertise with a strong focus on service delivery and client satisfaction. Since joining DUAL in 2014, she has been instrumental in growing and managing the Accident & Health portfolio, achieving profitability and business success. 

Melanie excels at providing clear direction and insightful guidance, empowering clients to navigate complex insurance needs confidently. As a leader, she is passionate about team development, ensuring they have the tools, knowledge and support to thrive. 

Dedicated to enhancing product capabilities, Melanie ensures DUAL’s offerings remain at the forefront of an ever-evolving market. She is committed to building and nurturing long-term relationships with brokers and clients, and her team is dedicated to delivering outstanding service and results.

Stewart has worked in the UK and London market for nearly 25 years. He has held a variety of liability positions at AIG and crisis management roles at various Lloyd’s Syndicates and at Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty. Prior to setting up a product recall book of business at Ark Syndicate in 2021 he was the Global Head of Product Recall at AGCS from 2019 looking after a book of cEUR100m. Stewart will be helping grow and diversify the liability book including a regional focus ensuring key service delivery to our broker partners and clients. 

Stewart succeeded Steve Jacques in April 2023 and will be building a team that will service the growing portfolio with a focus on profitability and sustainability whilst assisting develop new product solutions in the NZ market.

Leo has been in the insurance industry for over 38 years, with various management and underwriting roles across Asia Pacific.

In March 2004, Leo founded DUAL Australia with Damen Coates starting with only 6 employees.

Leo has held several roles at DUAL ANZ over the last 19 years including Underwriting Manager, Claims and Risk & Compliance Manager, ANZ Managing Director, and most recently, Executive Chairman for DUAL ANZ.

Michael joined DUAL in 2006 as an Underwriter in Melbourne.

He has held several senior roles across Australia and New Zealand following his appointment to the role of Western Australia Manager in 2012.

In 2015, he took responsibility for the Authorised Representative network across Australia, and in 2017, his role expanded to include brokers in New Zealand and the Southern Region.

Michael was appointed Commercial manager, Asia Pacific in 2018, overseeing responsibilities including DUAL’s SME platform business, Portfolio analytics and Marketing/Events.

Michael was promoted to Deputy CEO in September 2022, and has since assumed overall responsibility for People and Client Management.

In his 25 years in the insurance industry, Craig has held roles with international insurers and brokers in London and Australia.

In 2008, he joined DUAL as a Senior Underwriter, and in 2009, he established DUAL's Queensland office as a Regional Manager to manage underwriting teams in Queensland and in New South Wales.

He was promoted to the position of Head of Financial Lines (ANZ) in 2022. In this role, he was responsible for managing and overseeing the performance of the Financial Lines underwriting portfolios in Australia and New Zealand. In 2023, he was promoted to the position of Chief Underwriting Officer of DUAL ANZ.

Jane joined DUAL’s Melbourne office in 2005 in the role of Senior Underwriter. Since then, Jane has held various management roles within the business including National Schemes Manager and Underwriting and Operations Manager.   

Effective May 2022, Jane was promoted to the role of Chief Information Officer due to her excellent track record within the business and technical skills. Jane has a detailed and substantial knowledge of Operations & Technology efficiencies to innovate business systems and carry the technology area of the business forward. Jane is currently responsible for the project management of the roll out of IMS across Australia and New Zealand, the new core insurance system being implemented by the business. Previous to DUAL Jane held various underwriting roles at AMP and QBE and has over 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry. 

Ian joined DUAL in October 2017 as the Chief Financial Officer for the Asia Pacific region.

He has a strong accounting background, having trained with Ernst & young, and has worked with businesses in various industries such as insurance, banking, food service, airlines, and television.

Prior to joining DUAL, Ian has nearly 40 years as an insurance CFO, as well as in government, consulting, risk management, and general management roles in Australia and the Asia Pacific.

Davina leads DUAL Australia and New Zealand’s Sales and Marketing functions, driving growth through strategic broker engagement, brand positioning, and integrated marketing initiatives. 

 

Over her 15-year career at DUAL, Davina has held a range of roles across underwriting, relationship management, marketing, and communications—giving her a deep, end-to-end understanding of the business and broker needs.

A qualified lawyer with over 10 years’ experience in the legal and insurance industry, Tahlia joined DUAL in 2021 as Assistant Legal Counsel and has now progressed to the role of Head of Legal & Governance, overseeing DUAL’s legal, risk, and compliance functions across Australia and New Zealand. Before her time at DUAL, Tahlia worked at a national brokerage in their claims team, advising their large corporate clients. She began her career in private practice, in litigation and advocating for plaintiffs and vulnerable clients. 

As Head of Human Resources and People, Whitney is responsible for leading the strategic direction and operational delivery of the HR function across the region. Joining DUAL in 2020, she brings a background of more than 15 years in HR and learning across the hospitality and education sectors. Whitney is an accredited coach with the International Coaching Federation and holds multiple postgraduate qualifications, including a Master’s degree in human resource management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management.