Melissa Jolly is the founder and managing director of Pinnacle Insurance Brokers, a Perth-based firm specialising in bespoke insurance solutions and risk advisory for Australian SMEs. After starting her career in domestic insurance, Melissa spent several years working at Lloyd’s of London before returning to Western Australia to launch Pinnacle, a business built on a hybrid of London broking rigour and Australian client-first service.

In this episode of the CFO Access Podcast, host Jeff Robson sits down with Melissa to unpack what smart risk management really looks like for Australian SMEs. Melissa shares why the London broking model transformed how she approaches every client conversation, how CFOs should think about the self-insure decision, and why bringing your broker in early not at the last minute could save your business from a very expensive surprise. They also get into the growing cyber threat landscape, how AI is reshaping both fraud risk and the broking industry itself, and the broader question of whether Australians are becoming too risk-averse for their own good. 

This Episode:

0:00 Welcome & introducing Melissa Jolly

1:58 From domestic insurance to Lloyd’s of London

3:46 The hybrid London/Australian broking approach

5:30 Why insurance is genuinely exciting (yes, really)

7:30 What CFOs should be thinking about when it comes to insurance

10:10 Self-insure or buy a policy? How to make the decision

17:08 How Melissa works through a risk deep-dive with clients

21:00 Never let an insurance policy dictate how you run your business

25:14 AI risks: cyber fraud, professional indemnity & deepfakes

28:48 How AI is changing the insurance broking industry

30:04 On risk-taking: should we be saying yes more often?

41:46 Running, parkrun community & mental clarity

Connect with Melissa Jolly on LinkedIn