The company has appointed April Fuhlman as its first-ever Chief Anxiety Officer (CAO), tasked with addressing the concerns of business owners who lie awake worrying about statistically unlikely scenarios ranging from rogue emu attacks to asteroid impacts.
Unlike traditional risk management roles that focus on common threats like theft or fire, Fuhlman’s position specifically targets the bizarre and improbable risks that nonetheless cause significant anxiety for overthinkers in the business community.
“I’ve met countless business owners who reckon drinking chamomile tea will help them sleep peacefully and worry-free, but reality is they’re still wide awake at 2 AM thinking about the apocalypse,” Ms Fuhlman said.
“My job is to remove that worry-one cup of tea at a time.”
To support this initiative, BizCover has established a specialised team called the Strategic Team for Risk, Anxiety and Negation of General Exasperations (STRANGE), which will identify unlikely risks that business owners may obsess over and develop strategies to address them.
Ms Fuhlman brings a unique combination of insurance expertise and self-described overthinking tendencies to the role, making her well-suited to understand the concerns of anxious business owners.
She said that traditional risk education typically overlooks the unusual scenarios that keep some entrepreneurs awake at night.
“Most risk education focuses on predictable stuff-cyber threats, burglary, fire,” she said.
“But my team is focused on the niche, the bizarre, the ‘surely that won’t happen to me’ risks.”
The CAO position reflects BizCover’s recognition that Australian business owners face a unique set of challenges and concerns, including some that may seem outlandish but still require acknowledgment.
Ms Fuhlman said there was a range of improbable scenarios that nonetheless worry some business owners.
“For example, did you know there’s a 2.3 per cent chance an asteroid could hit Earth in 2032?” she said.
“Seems small, sure, but tell that to the dinosaurs.
“Our anxious business owners who know this, can advise that this is a worry so we can act.”
The service aims to provide peace of mind by acknowledging even the most unusual concerns and ensuring they’re addressed in insurance policies.
This allows business owners to focus on their operations rather than dwelling on unlikely disasters.
“You tell us your absurd insurance worries, and we’ll make sure these are explained in your policy,” Ms Fuhlman said.
“You can get back to running your café, barber shop, or world-dominating empire while we quietly panic in the background trying to compare great cover for you.”
The initiative represents a novel approach to customer service in the insurance industry, recognising that emotional reassurance can be just as important as practical coverage for many business owners.
“Having insurance is a great first step toward peace of mind,” Ms Fuhlman said.
“But there are so many unexpected risks-spontaneous combustion, rogue emus, theft by ninja.
“While we can’t prevent disaster, we can definitely help you not panic in a more organised fashion.”