Welcome from Chris Kilbee, Chairman of the Association of Average Adjusters 2025/2026

 

I am very proud to have been elected by my peers as Chairman of the Association of Average Adjusters for this year.

Having been based in the Far East for almost half a century, I feel I need to briefly introduce myself to many of you. After achieving unremarkable grades at school and squandering a couple of years thereafter, I fell into average adjusting 50 years ago this year. Not knowing that at least a decent degree was necessary, I waltzed into the good offices of Richards Hogg International in Essex St with no appointment, wearing a very ordinary Austin Reed suit and sporting a classic 70’s kipper tie, requesting to see Mr Richards. Well, his name did come first! A junior intake was leaving and William said something like “Well, why not? You’ll save me £50 finding that chap’s replacement anyway!”

After a few months of clerking, I was shifted to the team of the legendary John Crump and suddenly realised I could ride the bike, gaining experience on cases from UK shipowners like Andrew Weir, Bankline, P&O and the like. In 1977 I was sent to Singapore, and I have effectively been head-quartered there ever since. I am half Australian and had a 5-year sojourn in Sydney in the early 80’s and it was thanks to Steve Walker and John Ahern, both Fellows, who mentored me there into qualifying in 1987. By then I had returned to Singapore and held responsibility for the office for the next 15 years or so before starting my own practice 22 years ago. I am still full time and, so long as I keep waking up in the mornings, shall endeavour to continue to be so for some time still.

Now, having introduced many of you to who I am, I have a comment or two about our profession.

We play a vital part in the settlement of marine insurance hull claims. These arise out of intricate marine insurance law, and which are enforced under contract. Contracts are weighty agreements containing legally enforceable rights and obligations between the parties and which we come across so frequently in our lives. The law of contract is, at times, excruciatingly complex, and often open to different interpretation and when I see any non-marine contract, I get the shivers. How can anyone sort THAT out?  

Yet, in our admittedly thin sliver of realm within the contracts which exist in hull insurance, we sit modestly confident that we will provide the right answer for those routine and complex claims and to achieve consensus and a platform to settle on those contracts which may contain unintended ambiguity. Through our very high standard of qualification, preceded by years of learning our trade on the coattails of our seniors, we can offer to our marketplace a unique and trusted non-adversarial platform upon which to settle. It is not just the Fellowship qualification that counts. It is the daily layers of experience before then, during our apprenticeship if you like, when we learn to appreciate that claims need proper review, substantiation and consistently applied practice to succeed, such that both parties are happy to settle. In short, our DNA is that of the knowledgeable and of the fair minded. It doesn’t matter how or where we started, whether as a highflyer or a clerk, someone of the sea or from a landlocked country, the end result is knowhow and objectivity.

The doctrine of good faith is enshrined within the Marine Insurance Act. It is a strong declaration of intent by the law to remind payers and payees that the contract requires Uberrimae Fidei not only when establishing a policy, but when claims are made. In my view, the statement shouted from section 17 is made to all parties who are involved, and so far as claims settlement is concerned, I firmly believe that the service that average adjusters bring to the marine hull insurance community upholds this doctrine and greatly assists the process of claims presentation and acceptance. In SE Asia, the markets receive appointments from both assureds and the insurers and that has always been most encouraging.

As for General Average, well, how many times do people croak out the old expression “dark art”? Professor Google tells us that this can mean “magic used for evil means”! Well, we all know that is not the case. Marine carriage touches upon all our lives, one way or another. We cannot survive without it. In the context of our increasingly argumentative modern world, general average stands out respected as an extraordinarily ancient and honourable concept, which is still in use, having arisen many centuries ago from the need to achieve financial equity between the parties in maritime adventures gone wrong. There is no trickery, no evil intent. Just a bedrock of fair play still operating after so many centuries. Although simple in concept, however, we are all aware of the variety of complex issues which arise in general average, and I believe therefore that the AAA and all its members continue to provide a highly relevant skill to the marine and mercantile communities.

Much of our work is often performed behind the scenes and so our profile is difficult at times to broadcast. I therefore urge members and interested parties to visit and engage with us on our website or on LinkedIn.

I want to acknowledge the hard work of our Committee of Management and Secretary and single out, if I may, the dedication to maintaining high standards of our qualification by the Examination Committee under Keith Martin. I wish all members of the Association an agreeable and busy year ahead.

Chris Kilbee FAAA

Chairman, Association of Average Adjusters 2025/2026