Media

Media

• 04-Nov-2011 - Stream NZ announced as winner in Industry Awards

  Stream Group NZ was announced as the winner for the Innovation of the Year award during the General Insurance Industry Awards, held in Auckland on November 3.The Award's judges and sponsor, IBANZ, were impressed by Stream's delivery of an innovative, streamlined approach to the insurance claims management process, and the company's growth over the past 12 months.

   

  Entering New Zealand in mid-2010 through the acquisition of Freemans NZ, the Canterbury region earthquakes delivered a demanding first 12 months for Stream Group NZ. David Norriss, who has been leading Stream's Christchurch earthquake operations, says "It's certainly been a hectic time for everyone, but we've been able to establish the effectiveness of our system, especially for high-volumes."

  Norriss dedicated the award to the employees of Stream, saying "It's an honour to be recognised by the industry. Everyone at Stream has worked so hard over the past year."

  Stream Group NZ now services 100% of New Zealand and has offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

• 22-Sep-2011 - ActionCOACH MyBusiness Nomination

  Stream Group has been annouced as a finalist for the PwC Best Medium Business as part of the ActionCOACH My Business Awards. With only five finalists chosen for each category Stream is extremely proud to have been nominated.

  Stream has had a successful year with award nominations and wins, and the My Business Awards nominations further evidence that Stream's growth and hard work over the past year are being recognised within the Australian business community.

  Managing Director, Don McKenzie, says "Stream is all about development and growth. It was a crazy start to the year, and we had to establish new processes and employ and train a huge number of staff. But we're though it now, and we're a stronger team for it. I feel it's predominately down to the team's flexibility that's led to the recognition we've receieved."

  For more information on the ActionCOACH My Business Awards, and a list of the other nominees see the My Business website.

• 01-Aug-2011 - The buildings may be broken, but their spirit is not

  The past ten months have given residents of the Canterbury region repeated reasons to lose hope; fortunately, though, they are able to see the lighter side of this dark period. Stream has recently reinfored its Christchurch team with a a number of Australian Building Consultants; sent over to Christchurch to help deliver results to the insurers sooner. Ever on the lookout for interesting or quirky ‘kiwi-isms’ one of our Consultants was given a ‘bandaid’ by a customer.  

  The bandaids were printed by a New Zealand printing company “just for fun”. David, from CQ Printers, advised that although the bandaids are not physically going to make a difference to the structures, it’s enabled people in the region to have a laugh. The company likes to participate in projects that are a bit different and they decided to do something for their suffering district. They’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response from people, enjoying emails and comments praising and thanking them for lightening the mood for many during this trialing time.

• 29-Jul-2011 - Sunshine Seminar Wrap Up

  Coordinated by ANZIIF, and 'Platinum' sponsored by Stream Group delegates from Stream joined 90 others from the insurance sector for two days of informative presentations and networking. The 18th annual seminar focused on ‘Weathering the Future’. Many of the speakers considered the ‘event’ heavy summer in Australia and New Zealand; how it has affected the industry and strategies to consider ensuring best practice within the industry.
  Amongst the most popular presentations included the keynote address, presented by the Chairman of Lloyd’s, Lord Peter Levene, Dr Chris Caton’s (BT Financial Group) presentation on the global economic and market outlook, and a look at insurance fraud by Laurie Ratz (Insurance Council of Australia).
  The panel sessions that concluded each of the days bought together some of the industry’s leaders as they shared some interesting insights about the industry’s ability to cope with the summer of catastrophes as well as their personal experiences of the industry; where it’s been, where it’s going, and the areas that can be improved for the future.

• 13-Jul-2011 - Encouragement for the Insurance Industry

  Stream Group was announced as the Queensland Business of the Year on 12 July 2011 during the Telstra Business Awards. Stream’s incredible growth was recognized through the awards with the group managing over 22,000 claims in the first six months of 2011.

  Stream continues to manage close to 10,000 Christchurch earthquake claims through to completion whilst ensuring the Queensland flood and cyclone claims are completed as quickly as possible.

  Stream Group Managing Director, Don McKenzie says “I am extremely pleased with our response to recent catastrophe events. We’ve received close to 5,000 building and contents claims for Cyclone Yasi and close to 90% of these claims are either authorized for repair or finalized. We’re confident that 95% of all cyclone claims will be finalized before the end of the year.”

  McKenzie was presented at the Telstra Business Awards with the Panasonic Medium Business award and then the Queensland Business of the Year award, affirming Stream’s hard work over the past year and also acknowledging of the importance of this industry.

  McKenzie sees this as a victory, not only for Stream, but for the industry as a whole, “So often the insurance industry is portrayed in a negative light, we’re very happy to represent the industry in such a positive way today”.

  Don McKenzie was interviewed about Stream's win of the Queensland Telstra Business Awards on 4BC on 13 July 2011.
  Don McKenzie on 4BC (see Business of the Year podcast)
  He was also interviewered on 101.5fm on 29 July 2011.
  Don McKenzie on 101.5fm

• 06-Jul-2011 - VideoSend+ App Now Available

  Insurtech, the system development company responsible for Stream’s award-winning Buildassist system has just released their first Iphone app. The application allows for up to 6 minutes of video, which unlike the Iphone’s generic video program, can be paused and re-started, to be emailed directly to a new and ‘favourite’ contact.

  The video is also automatically stored in your phone for further sharing if you wish.

  VideoSend+ will be used by Stream’s Building Consultants to make their job a little easier. Instead of sending multiple videos of a customer’s damaged property or site to the Buildassist system , just one video will be uploaded, saving time and space on both ends.

• 22-Jun-2011 - Stream Group nominated for Telstra Business Awards

  Stream Group Australia has recently been named as a finalist in the Queensland Telstra Business Awards, for the Panasonic Australia Medium Business category. The nomination is a beacon for Stream’s employees to continue their work and an encouraging sign that their hard work over the summer event season has been recognized.
  After rapidly expanding throughout December and January in order to cope with the number of claims the Stream team jumped from a small group of fewer than 100 employees to now totally closer to having 150. Now classified as Medium-sized enterprise Stream is honoured to receive a nomination for the Telstra Business awards, and even happier to have those efforts recognized with a place amongst the finalists.

  Running for nearly two decades the Telstra Business Awards have sought businesses who exemplify business greatness through outstanding customer service, growth, training and development, and innovation. More information about the Telstar Business Awards can be found here http://www.telstrabusinessawards.com/
  
  Fresh off the press - Stream Group has won two awards from the Queensland Telstra Business Awards; winning both the Panasonic Medium Business and the Telstra Business of the Year award for Queensland. See 'Encouragement for the Insurance Industry' for more details.

• 20-Jun-2011 - CEO nominated for Ernst and Young award

  Stream Group CEO, Don McKenzie, has been nominated for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Don vaulted into the insurance industry with Stream in 2007. Juggling study at university and working for his family’s building business Don began to think of ways in which the insurance process could be simplified.
  Don developed the Stream system so that he could hit the ground running with an exciting new product. After picking up some major clients within Queensland Stream grew phenomenally each year, and 2011 is set to exceed all expectations.
  
  A major asset for Stream has been Don’s dedication to continual improvement. Finding the best solutions for individual clients and embracing modern technologies and applications has ensures that Stream will not become stagnant within the marketplace.
  
  Ernst and Young have been running the Entrepreneur of the Year Award since 2001 in Australia. Celebrating those behind successful and dynamic businesses the Award strives to make a difference to the business world by encouraging entrepreneurial activity and acknowledging the individuals who have dedicated themselves to create new and exciting business opportunities.
  
  The list of nominees is available from the Ernst and Young website; Don is exceedingly proud to be nominated and offers his congratulations to all other nominees for their work to date.
  
  Find out more about the Award here. http://www.ey.com/AU/en/About-us/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year

External Articles

• 18-Jul-2011 - Stream Group enjoys exponential growth

  The Courier Mail
  Don McKenzie says he couldn't program to save his life, yet the Queenslander's "hybrid technology" company is on the cusp of big things, not just locally but internationally.

   

  The 28-year-old's Stream Group last week topped the state Telstra Business Awards and will represent Queensland in the national Business of the Year competition. Mr McKenzie was 24 when his father backed him in the start-up of Stream, using software that he had developed for the family construction company to better manage the workload.

  "After we started doing catastrophe work, I just saw an opening in the marketplace so we sold the construction company, set up Stream with that technology and got our first job in 2008," he said.

  The growth has been significant, jumping from 2000 jobs that first year to 35,600 for the 2011 financial year.

  To read the whole article please click here.

• 22-Jun-2011 - Firm strikes gold again

  Pine Rivers Press
  STREAM Group, an insurance claim business based in Strathpine, is one of 18 finalists in the 2011 Telstra Queensland Business Awards. A relatively-young business, founder and director Don McKenzie said he was honoured to be recognised among Queensland’s best businesses after establishing the company in 2007. With about 150 staff including 120 full-time, Mr McKenzie said he believed the key to success was looking after your customers and staff.
  
  To read the whole article please click here.

• 18-Mar-2010 - Brisbane Business News Young Entrepreneur 2010

  Brisbane Business News
  OFFERING a cheaper and faster online service for property damage claims, Don McKenzie has brewed the perfect storm with his business Stream Group, recording revenues of $7.5 million last financial year.
  
  And he’s only 26.
  
  Bushfires, storms and floods have kept insurance companies off their feet this last year, but McKenzie says his product makes claims easier and more efficient, acting as a ‘YouTube’ for damaged properties.
  
  “We deal with property claims in a more trade qualified way. We put all the details online so that builders can put their tenders in and the bid can be chosen in 24 to 48 hours, rather than the few weeks it would take traditionally,” he says.
  
  “For example, before you’d have five builders calling Mrs Jones, annoying Mrs Jones and it would take a lot longer – we’ve put the systems in place to reduce stress and make it easier for the end user.”
  
  It is a business model that was six years in the making with McKenzie ‘lining the ducks in a row’, managing a series of different businesses in the construction and IT sectors, including InsureTech which now acts as the backbone for Stream Group.
  
  His entrepreneurial experience goes back to age 18 when he managed his family’s home improvements business Absolutely Aluminium. It was then that builders gave him the name ‘Storm Boy’, because whenever there was a storm he would be on his bike to help clients, whether it was in Gladstone or the Gold Coast.
  
  He then went on to start a futures, options and foreign exchange company McKenzie Trading Services and since 2001 he has accumulated nine businesses.
  
  But the largest of these is certainly Stream Group, with expansion expected in New Zealand late 2010 and negotiations underway in the UK and the US.
  
  “Essentially, damage claims are the same wherever you go, but whatever we do we’ll still only have one head office and it will be in Brisbane,” he says.
  
  “To expand you can run at a loss on the day to day claims, but you need to have the resources in place so that when catastrophe hits you’ve got the resources to supply to clients.
  
  “The way we’ll set it up is so that the Aussies can help the New Zealanders, they’ll do the same here, and international operations would work that way as we go further abroad.”
  
  Age: 26 / Business Est: 2007 / Number of staff: 48 / Growth: 2400 per cent / Turnover: $7.5 million
  
  To read the full article please click here.

• 22-Aug-2008 - Winners of 2008 Australia and New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards Announced

  The Institute - Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance
  Innovation of the Year - Stream Group
  Judges were extremely impressed with buildassist established by Stream Group and its ability to manage building claims, particularly in the sub $10,000 bracket, and the uptake of the program by Australia’s top insurers and loss adjusters.
  
  They were particularly impressed that buildassist was created in direct response to insurer’s needs.
  Of recent years, the focus of the insurance industry has been on claims management costs and service providers fees, which did not address the cost associated with the building repair process. This has seen insurers engaging builders directly without adequate control of building costs.
  
  The buildassist process was developed by Stream in response to insurers requests for an alternative to the historical processes, giving greater transparency, and not inhibiting progress of the claim, but rather expediting the process.
  
  Judges were impressed with the flexibility of buildassist. It uses the industry’s best IT platform to manage the clearly identifiable elements of the claim. The IT platform has been developed using open standards and technologies including PHP, mySQL and Java allowing Stream to prove its reliability, functionality and ability to be adapted to meet client requirements and regulatory change. As insurers use the builder’s models to various extents, buildassist has been designed to be totally flexible. Each step in the process is clearly identified, and clients can choose the end-to-end service, or opt for certain elements which suits their needs.
  
  Buildassist is the first true ‘end to end’ solution for building claims.It is the first IT platform available to the insurance industry with a true ability to manage the claim both vertically and horizontally.
  
  To read the full article please click here.

Stream Group Facts Sheets

• Click here to download the Facts Sheet. (270 kb)