Zenith Credit Solutions

Independent trade credit insurance advisory with a global perspective, helping businesses strengthen structures, broaden market access, and secure better outcomes through practical specialist insight.

Our Mission

Our mission was formed in response to a clear gap in the Australian market.

Trade credit insurance in Australia remains shaped by a relatively limited pool of insurers, with solutions often concentrated around traditional whole-of-turnover portfolio structures. In many cases, client needs are not fully served — whether in terms of required limits, product variety, or flexibility of structure. Yet internationally, the use of credit insurance has evolved well beyond its conventional role in trade finance. In more developed markets, it is increasingly used across broader financing and non-trade contexts, including financial institution lending and other structured applications.

Even within the trade finance space, the Australian market continues to lag behind international practice. Policy terms, structures, and negotiation outcomes can often be far more flexible than many buyers realise, provided the client has the knowledge and leverage to engage the market effectively.

With solid experience across both local and overseas markets, our aim is to help bring a new perspective to this sector — one grounded in education, practical insight, and commercial independence. We believe credit insurance should be understood not only as a protection product, but as a broader financial management tool: one that can strengthen credit discipline, support better receivables management, and in some cases enhance financing outcomes with banks.

For many businesses, credit insurance appears complex and difficult to access. Our view is that a significant proportion of cases can be handled more directly by the business itself when supported by the right knowledge and industry understanding. The benefit is not only the reduction of recurring brokerage costs, but also the ability to negotiate more effectively with insurers and extract greater value from the policy itself.

At its core, our mission is to educate the market, widen access to better solutions, and help clients use credit insurance in a more informed, cost-effective, and strategically valuable way.

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Value Proposition

We help clients use insurance more strategically — with greater independence, sharper structuring, and access to broader market capability where local solutions fall short.

Strategic Control of Insurance
Independent Second Opinion
Unlocking Global Insurance Capabilities
Capability for Brokers & MGAs
Political Risk Advisory
Optimised Risk & Cost Efficiency
Value
Proposition

Strategic Control of Insurance

In Australia, the credit insurance market remains relatively concentrated, with only a handful of insurers actively participating in this space. As a result, many buyers are channelled through a narrow distribution structure, where the default outcome is often the purchase of insurance rather than a broader assessment of whether the cover is necessary, efficient, or properly structured. For clients with relatively straightforward insurance needs, it is entirely feasible to take greater control of the process with the right specialist guidance. This can lead to significant savings by avoiding recurring brokerage costs and by ensuring that insurance is only used where it genuinely adds value. Our approach starts from a different premise. Rather than assuming more insurance is the answer, we examine your portfolio from a risk management perspective — identifying where protection is truly needed, where premium spend may be unnecessary, and how insurance can be used more selectively and effectively. The objective is not simply to buy a policy, but to maximise meaningful protection without paying for cover that does not materially improve your risk position.

Our Approach

We combine market understanding, practical judgement, and creative thinking to help clients navigate a specialist market where access, structure, and credibility matter.

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Knowledge

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We bring more than technical product knowledge. We bring a deep understanding of how this specialist market truly works — including the relationships, market dynamics, and international networks that often determine whether a transaction can be achieved on the right terms.

In credit and political risk insurance, access and credibility matter. Our knowledge extends beyond policy mechanics to the practical realities of negotiating with insurers across different markets.

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Experience

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Our advice is grounded in real market experience across both the private and public sectors, covering underwriting and, critically, claims.

This matters because many market participants may understand placement, but far fewer understand how insurers assess risk internally or how a policy is likely to respond when tested by a claim. It gives our clients practical insight that is commercially relevant from the outset.

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Novelty

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The market is evolving quickly. Where conventional markets fall short, we help clients explore novel solutions. This may involve identifying emerging insurers, new structures, or alternative approaches that better reflect current market realities.

For more complex transactions, the ability to think beyond standard solutions can be the difference between a declined opportunity and a workable outcome.

Global Perspective

Our work is informed by international market awareness, disciplined analysis, and an appreciation of how credibility, structure, and perspective shape better outcomes.

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A wider market perspective can create stronger options and sharper positioning.
Historic architecture
Enduring advice is built on structure, judgement, and long-term clarity.
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Complex credit risk decisions benefit from international awareness and disciplined insight.

Why Choose Us

Independent specialist advice can make a meaningful difference to cover quality, market reach, and commercial value.

Independent perspective
Advice focused on client outcomes rather than premium volume.
Insurer-side understanding
Insight into how underwriters and claims teams may approach risk and recovery.
International awareness
A broader view of market options beyond a narrow local framework.
Commercial practicality
Recommendations grounded in real transaction, financing, and policy realities.

Practical Insights

Important notice

The comments below are provided for general informational purposes only. They are intended as broad market observations based on industry experience and do not constitute financial product advice, legal advice, or a recommendation in relation to any particular insurer, policy, or insurance structure.

Insurance decisions should be made only after considering the specific circumstances of the insured, the policy terms, applicable regulations, and appropriate professional advice where required.

Selecting an Credit and Political Risk Insurer: Practical Insights from Market Experience

A single AI prompt can produce a long list of factors to consider when selecting an insurer. While many of those points may be valid, they often focus on the more obvious considerations, such as pricing, limits, and capacity. In practice, insurer selection often requires a broader assessment that goes beyond what can be captured in a simple comparison table.

1. Policy coverage is not only about wording, but also about how wording may be interpreted in practice.

Modern tools, including AI, can make it easier to compare policy clauses across insurers. What remains more difficult is assessing how a particular insurer may interpret those clauses in the event of a claim, and how much practical significance it may attach to a breach, notification issue, or procedural requirement. Although policyholders should always aim to comply fully with policy terms, market experience suggests that not all situations are approached in exactly the same way. In some cases, an insurer may take a more commercial view; in others, a stricter interpretation may prevail. For that reason, insureds may wish to seek guidance from an independent adviser or an experienced broker who can help assess not only the wording itself, but also how it may operate in practice. It may also be sensible, where a point is material, to obtain clarification in writing before cover is bound.

2. The existence of insurance should not always be treated as a complete substitute for due diligence.

Some policyholders, particularly smaller businesses, may take comfort from the existence of insurance and assume this alone provides complete protection in the event of loss. While insurers in Australia operate under a robust prudential framework, financial strength remains a relevant consideration when selecting an insurer. Historical events such as the collapse of HIH in 2001 show that insurer failure, while rare, is not impossible. As part of ordinary due diligence, some insureds may therefore wish to consider the insurer’s credit rating, market standing, and overall financial profile alongside policy terms and premium.

3. Publicly available information may provide useful context.

In addition to reviewing ratings and policy terms, some buyers may find it useful to conduct basic background research on an insurer. Public sources may reveal information about litigation history, regulatory actions, recurring claims disputes, or other reputational issues. Not every report should be treated as determinative, but consistent and reputable reporting may help form part of a wider assessment of market conduct and claims culture.

4. Broader insurer relationships may, in some circumstances, have practical relevance.

Where a business already places multiple classes of insurance with the same insurer, that broader commercial relationship may occasionally carry practical weight when issues arise under one policy. This should not be regarded as a substitute for sound wording or proper placement, but in some situations a wider relationship may provide additional commercial context in discussions following a claim or coverage issue.

5. International market access may sometimes broaden available options.

For businesses with international operations, or those operating in specialist areas such as credit insurance, it may be worthwhile considering whether overseas markets can offer additional flexibility, product variation, or capacity, subject always to applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Where lawful and appropriate, access to more mature or more competitive markets may offer a broader range of structures than those available domestically.

6. Internal insurer structure can affect responsiveness after the policy is placed.

One operational point that is sometimes overlooked is how an insurer divides responsibility between business development, account management, and underwriting. This may appear to be an internal administrative matter, but it can affect response times once the policy is live, particularly where urgent underwriting decisions or limit requests are involved. If a request needs to move through multiple layers before reaching someone with delegated authority, delay can arise. Some insureds may therefore find it useful to understand, at least at a high level, how decisions are made and where authority sits within the insurer’s organisation.

7. Local presence in key markets may add practical value.

Where an insured trades heavily with a particular overseas market, or is entering a new jurisdiction, it may be relevant to consider whether the insurer has an underwriting or branch presence there. Local presence can sometimes improve access to market intelligence, enhance understanding of legal and commercial practices, and support more informed risk assessment. In some cases, insurers may also be prepared to share elements of their internal buyer assessment or credit view, which may assist the insured’s own credit management processes, although practices will differ from market to market.

These points are not exhaustive. Many of the more important considerations in insurer selection are not always obvious from a headline comparison of premium and limits. In practice, the quality of cover may depend not only on the policy wording itself, but also on insurer financial strength, responsiveness, internal process, claims culture, and market experience.

Disclaimer

This material is general in nature and is not intended to influence any person in choosing, acquiring, varying, or retaining a specific financial product. It does not take into account any person’s objectives, financial situation, or needs. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice before making any insurance or risk management decision.

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