From Admin Overload to Broker Excellence: Rocco Pirrello, GSA Insurance Brokers

For GSA Insurance Brokers, engaging international support staff via ASW Global has proven to be a pivotal growth strategy for the business and for their people. Rocco Pirrello, Executive General Manager-Operations, reflects on how GSA’s partnership with ASW has supported organisational agility, workforce productivity, and overall business performance. Here are highlights from the interview. Watch the full video after the article.

Q: Can you tell us about GSA Insurance Brokers, the history of the business, and your role within the company?

Rocco Pirrello: GSA Insurance Brokers is celebrating its 35th year. We are based in Sydney with a significant presence in Brisbane and Melbourne. Recently, we formally launched offices in these cities to expand our offerings across the eastern seaboard. We cater to listed businesses, large privately owned businesses, and commercial businesses. My role as EGM-Operations spans IT systems, HR, compliance, broking process, and marketing. I’ve been with GSA for 15 years, and my responsibilities involve overseeing various aspects of the business operations.

Q: What were the challenges or opportunities GSA faced before building your international team?

Rocco Pirrello: We faced challenges around costs, efficiencies, and providing our local staff the opportunity to grow. Our local team was burdened with admin tasks, which hindered their ability to meet clients and focus on growth. The idea of outsourcing was initially seen as an admin hub, but after discussing with Dan (Daniel Breese, ASW Head of Growth), we realized it was about growing our support team and integrating new staff from a new market as part of our team.

With Daniel Breese, ASW Global Head of Growth

Q: What were some apprehensions GSA had before going down the path of building an international team?

Rocco Pirrello: We had apprehensions about the quality of work, hours, language barriers, and processes. There was a lot of unknowns, and we were overthinking it. However, once we understood the model and what we needed, we were able to build the team deliberately.

Q: How did you overcome these challenges and ensure the comfort of your team throughout the process?

Rocco Pirrello: We threw ourselves at it, putting energy and effort into integrating the new team members. We treated them as part of our team, which made the transition smoother. By investing time and effort, we saw positive results quickly.

Q: What was it about the ASW international team model that appealed to GSA?

Rocco Pirrello: The shift in mindset from an admin hub to having a team of people that are part of our business was crucial. The recruitment process, onboarding, and support from ASW made the transition smooth and collaborative.

Q: How did you go about your recruitment process for the international team?

Rocco Pirrello: The recruitment process was part of the offering from ASW. We provided a brief, and ASW came back with candidates ready to interview. We were able to meet and analyse candidates just like we would any other staff member, which made the process smoother.

Q: What roles did you start with when building your international team, and why?

Rocco Pirrello: We started with admin and support roles in our workers comp team. When this proved successful, we replicated the model across other broking divisions and shared services like marketing and finance.

Q: What has been the impact of hiring international staff on your local team and market?

Rocco Pirrello: It has given our team in Australia room to grow by providing support around our brokers and other parts of the business. This has allowed our local team to focus on career progression and educational items, ultimately delivering more value to our clients.

Photo from Property Funds Association 2025 Conference

Q: Did you have to change your processes to grow your team overseas?

Rocco Pirrello: No, we treated the international team the same as our local team, from the interview process to onboarding, probation, and personal development plans. This ensured consistency and maintained our standards across the business.

Q: How do you maintain the quality and compliance of your international team?

Rocco Pirrello: We set the same standards across the business, regardless of location. Everyone is exposed to the same training, audit processes, and compliance standards. This ensures that quality and compliance are maintained.

Q: How do you ensure GSA’s team culture is upheld across both local and international teams?

Rocco Pirrello: We put a lot of energy into ensuring the culture translates to other locations. We plan to visit the international team and have had staff visit us in Sydney. It’s important to keep a close eye on culture and ensure it aligns with our values.

Q: How has the international team impacted local talent attraction and retention?

Rocco Pirrello: The international team has helped maintain a good turnover of staff and motivated our local team. We haven’t lost any international staff, and it has positively impacted our local team’s career progression and productivity.

Q: What does the future look like for GSA with the international team in place?

Rocco Pirrello: The international team is part of our formula for growth. It allows our local team to have more capacity to find and service clients better. The cost efficiencies also enable us to invest in other areas and grow the business.

Q: What lessons would you share with businesses considering building an international team?

Rocco Pirrello: Understand your business needs and be deliberate about building the team. Do your due diligence and give it a go. Treat the international team as part of your own and invest time in integrating them.

*This article has been edited for length and clarity.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO FOR MORE INSIGHTS.