What makes a good partner?
Author: Ryan Cameron – Director of Broking
Why are partnerships on my mind? Well, EBM Insurance & Risk makes a point of looking for good partners in situations where, together, we can create and deliver something special, and sometimes unexpectedly special.
And right now, I’m really excited about the partnership we’ve forged with Achmea Farm Insurance and how, together, we can help Australia’s primary producers manage risk even better.
So, what are those core qualities that we all look for in a good partner? Before you commit, you need to be excited about what the future holds, and the possibilities ahead of you. You need to be confident in what you can achieve together. Common aspirations and interests are a big help.
Digging a little deeper, I’m sure you’d agree that shared values, mutual respect, trust, honesty and integrity, all have to be near the top of the list. Whether it’s personal or professional, a partner needs to hit some pretty high standards – and give you the chance to be even better too.
When I look at the local and global partnerships (or strategic alliances if we want to be formal) EBM has formed, I’m happy to say they all deliver on the high standards we set and they have all have enabled us to develop, grow and serve in ways our founders couldn’t have imagined half a century ago.
Achmea Farm Insurance (part of the international Achmea Group) ticks all those boxes and more. At EBM, we’re proud of having been in the business for more than 50 years and we hope we’ll still be kicking goals for our clients in another 150 years.
Achmea has been doing exactly that for more than two centuries.
For anyone who doesn’t know them already, Achmea was established in 1811 by a group of farmers in the Netherlands and has grown into one of the world’s largest co-operative financial services providers, now serving 13 million clients worldwide. In Australia, they specialise in agricultural insurance.
Like EBM, Achmea Farm Insurance takes a ‘hands-on’ approach when it comes to understanding the needs of people in rural and regional Australia.
Teaming up means we can expand our regional reach and work in partnership to deliver a whole of client insurance package. Our partnership allows us to support Achmea Farm Insurance’s clients with broader insurance solutions that extends beyond their quality farm, fleet and stud stock insurance propositions.
When you team up with a valued and trusted partner, you don’t lose your own identity, you create something new that can be even better in the right circumstances.
Finding and choosing a good partner isn’t always easy. But when you do, it’s exciting. Thanks for letting me share!
*This article first appeared in Farm Weekly, March 2026.
