Profile
“My strongest professional quality is my ability to build trust and long-term relationships, whether with clients, colleagues, or stakeholders”
Danny Ibrahim,
KeyRate Mortgage
Leading with confidence, expertise and strategic value, Lois Andrijich has been a shining light in the Australian HR industry for nearly two decades. With years of experience in a variety of HR roles, Andrijich now divides her time between her own HR business – Life at Work – and her executive HR role at Norcliffe Mining Services.
While other executive roles may have more demonstrable return on investment, Andrijich has focused on tallying the financial benefits from her HR solutions, then demonstrating them to business leaders.
“In an HR executive capacity, the biggest challenge is ensuring that the strategic and operational value that the HR function is adding to the organisation is very clear,” she says.
“It means being able to talk clearly to money you’ve saved through good management of people processes, avoiding claims, increasing productivity and engagement, and so on.”
Taking leaps of faith has been a regular theme throughout Andrijich’s career. She believes her self-confidence and ability to follow through on ambitions has been a key driver to her performance as an HR professional, and she now advises young female professionals to do the same.
“I’m not afraid to give things a go. I don’t like to stay too comfortable. I like to do a good job – of course, we all do – but I’m not worried about failing or not being perfect,” she explains.
“Wherever I can I encourage women to speak up, go for opportunities, back themselves. Sometimes women can hold back because of imposter syndrome, and I try to set an example every day that we should just try things.”
Launching Life at Work has been a firm highlight in Andrijich’s career, though one which has come with a rollercoaster of emotions. With an all-women team, she has created a culture of flexibility while finding unique scaling solutions for small businesses getting off the ground.
“It’s difficult to understand how hard running a business is until you’re in it, and it’s tricky for friends and family in corporate roles to properly understand it,” she explains. “You need a strong community of other business owners around you if you want to make it through.”
Understanding both business and employee needs has been another crucial component of Andrijich’s career. While HR can often skew towards business influence, she attempts to be a consistent bridge between both sides.
“In an internal HR function, I’ve also worked hard to create a balance between supporting the business and supporting employees,” she notes. “HR can swing too far towards supporting the business sometimes, and being that middle ground or voice of reason is helpful. Otherwise, staff won’t come to you for support when they need it, and you miss that opportunity.”
Though HR is a female-dominated profession in Australia, Andrijich notes that the wage disparity between HR roles and other operational functions has been traditionally high. To see this gap slimmed, she hopes that executive teams begin to recognise the true strategic value HR teams bring to organisations.
7/28 Kintail Road, Applecross, WA 6153
0412617332
lois@lifeatwork.com.au
linkedin.com/in/lois-andrijich-76507696
lifeatwork.com.au
Lois Andrijich
Director Life at Work
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Milestones
“I’ve always believed that if you love what you do, you’ll never settle, and that attitude has guided every decision I’ve made”
Danny Ibrahim,
KeyRate Mortgage
2010–2019
2019
2020
2024
2023
From HR coordinator to executive general manager at the St Ives Group (four promotions in five years)
2010–2019
Executive GM HR at Minda Inc.
2019
Created Life at Work
2020
Joined the Norcliffe Group team
2024
Group General Counsel and Head of ESG at Probe Group
2023
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
A significant part of his focus today is staying ahead of regulatory change while maintaining a seamless client experience. He tracks updates from regulators and lenders closely and works with his teams to adjust systems as needed.
“My approach to my role and my career has always been rooted in passion, focus, and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” he says. “I’ve never been driven solely by profit or business metrics. I believe in hiring great talent, trusting them, and pushing boundaries because innovation doesn’t come from playing it safe.”
His experience isn’t limited to Canada. Ibrahim has worked in the US and UAE, which shaped his global perspective and comfort with adapting to different markets. He thrives on risk, viewing setbacks as stepping stones to progress.
“I’ve always believed that if you love what you do, you’ll never settle, and that attitude has guided every decision I’ve made,” he adds.
That outlook continues to guide his work and reflects his broader goal of helping move the industry forward. Through his brokerage, lending company, and legal services, Ibrahim is focused on creating long-term value for his clients, his teams, and others working in the field.