JLT Insurance
Jardine Lloyd Thompson (commonly known as JLT Insurance) provides insurance brokerage, risk management, and employee benefits advisory services. The company works with businesses and organizations to design and arrange insurance solutions, helping them manage risks such as property damage, liability, and employee-related exposures. JLT focuses on tailored, client-driven advice and serves a wide range of industries across global markets through its network of insurance specialists and partners.
Date posted
March 6, 2026
Company
JLT Insurance
Their challenge for Proforce
Jardine Lloyd Thompson needed to address a growing talent gap within its insurance brokerage teams, where junior account handler and advisory roles were traditionally filled through experienced hires rather than early-career recruitment. The company aimed to build a sustainable pipeline of high-potential graduates who could be trained in insurance sales, risk advisory, and client relationship management, ultimately developing them into future account directors capable of managing complex commercial portfolios across Australia and New Zealand.
Who Is JLT Insurance?
Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT Insurance) is a global insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm that provides businesses with insurance placement, risk management, and employee benefits consulting. The company works with corporate and commercial clients to design tailored insurance solutions and manage complex risk exposures across multiple industries. Operating across markets including Australia and New Zealand, JLT supports organizations with strategic advice, policy structuring, and long-term risk management services.
What solution was built to address the issue?
ProForce Australia partnered with JLT Insurance to design and scale a grass-roots, decade-long graduate program called “JLT Sales Academy,” sourcing 10 high-potential university graduates annually to fill junior account handler roles and systematically develop them into account directors. This created a self-sustaining pipeline addressing insurance industry talent shortages, with structured progression, low attrition, and measurable ROI, cementing it as Australia’s most successful insurance graduate program through alumni retention rates over 85% and revenue growth from next-gen leaders.
Year 1: Grass-Roots Recruitment and Foundation Building
Years 2-3: Mid-Level Acceleration and Specialisation
The cohort rotates through key business verticals including corporate, financial lines, and construction, while shadowing senior directors on major client renewals exceeding $5M. ProForce delivers advanced training modules each quarter, such as Achieving Inside Sales Success for outbound prospecting and Leadership Essentials, complemented by bi-annual performance reviews that see around 40% of participants promoted to Assistant Account Manager roles.
To reinforce the program’s grassroots culture, “alumni mentorship pods” are introduced, pairing first-year graduates with third-year participants for peer coaching and guidance. The program delivers strong performance outcomes, with participants generating an average of 120% revenue per representative compared to the industry benchmark of 80%. As the program gains momentum and reputation, it scales to 150 graduates per year, attracting high-quality candidates organically through its proven success.
Years 4-7: Leadership Pipeline and Scale-Up
The top 25% of participants progress into Account Manager or Executive roles, where they begin leading small teams and managing mid-market client portfolios exceeding $20M. ProForce’s Executive Division benchmarks performance against industry peers and introduces bespoke development modules such as Strategic Account Growth focused on cross-selling products like D&O and cyber insurance and High-Performing Teams to strengthen leadership capability.
Over a decade, CRM tracking shows 70% program retention, with alumni actively referring new ProForce candidates and reinforcing a strong “send the elevator back” culture. Jardine Lloyd Thompson further promotes the initiative by recognising top performers as “Academy Stars,” strengthening employer branding and attracting future talent. By this stage, the program has produced 500 graduates, filling 60% of director-level vacancies internally.
Years 8-10: Legacy and Industry Benchmark
By the end of the decade, academy alumni hold senior leadership positions including directors and heads of verticals, driving more than $500M in new insurance premiums through client relationships developed from their early grassroots experience. ProForce continues to evolve the program by introducing modules focused on AI and risk analytics, further strengthening capability and positioning Jardine Lloyd Thompson as a destination employer for emerging talent.
Key outcomes include a 90% internal promotion rate to director roles, compared with an industry average of around 30%, and 25% of alumni progressing into C-suite or executive leadership positions. The program also receives industry recognition, including awards such as Best Graduate Program from Insurance Business Australia. Over time, the “JLT Model” becomes a benchmark for talent development within the insurance sector, with ProForce ultimately licensing the framework to other firms seeking to replicate its success.