Help, like no-one else. There are some things in life we simply can’t prepare for. And that’s where people like Adam shine. In the 11 years that he’s been an NRMA assessor, Adam has seen his fair share of disasters and is prepared for all. The chance to help others is what he lives for – it’s just one of the reasons he loves his job so much.

What drives Adam is the knowledge he can use his life and professional experience to help people when they’re at their lowest ebb. When Queensland faced the recent floods and cyclones Adam was the face that greeted many devasted families.

“When we go to catastrophes, we’re dealing with people who have lost everything,” says Adam. “These people are questioning everything: they're unsure where they go from here and what they're entitled to.

“You stand there and deliver some good news in a very dark period in their lives – you’re their glimmer of hope. At that moment, they think they've lost everything – their house, property, whatever it may be. And then along comes an assessor with some good news. We might say, ‘Everything right now might seem like it's the end, but we're here to help you rebuild. Whatever we can do, we will’.

“For me, that’s what sticks out about this job. You’re a little bit of hope for people at a time when they really need it.”

Adam says he’s always found people who live through catastrophic situations to be very appreciative of the work assessors and other helpers on the ground do. “When we set up our Major Event Rapid Response Vehicle (MERRV) in the town centre, people come to say, ‘Thank you’,” he says. “They’re filled with gratitude for what you're doing.

“This role is all about being there for a person when their back’s against the wall.”

"I think, what if that was my mother? What if that was my son?”

Adam prides himself on being the type of person who lends people a hand. “I'm fortunate enough that I have lived a pretty blessed life. And I love to help people wherever I can ... Often, we don't do enough to help others, whether it’s a stranger or someone we know.”

After not knowing what to do when he left school (and deciding at the end of a summer job that being a brickie’s labourer was definitely not his calling), Adam decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and get into the insurance industry.

“Helping people is the best part of my job,” Adam says. “People do appreciate the help that you're giving them. That is a driving factor [for me]. Being able to explain things to people and help them at a time when they're in need or with something they don't understand. It's an opportunity and a privilege to be able to do that."

The other thing Adam loves about his job is its variety. “No two days are the same,” he says. “Even after 11 years, you see things every day that are different.”

A former footballer and the father of a two-year-old boy, Adam says that for him, helping people starts with empathy, and recognising that strangers are real people, too.

“I think, what if that was my mother? What if that was my son? How would I want them to be treated at a time when they needed someone to help them?”