Milton Gonzalez is a Director and Founder at PACE Insurance. With an insurance career spanning more than 35 years, he is an experienced broker and has developed himself as an industry expert within the hospitality sector. Milton has been pivotal in growing and maintaining the client base at PACE Insurance, specifically within the hospitality occupation, where PACE proudly holds the market share across Victoria.
“I’m immensely proud of our growing business, including our hospitality scheme that offers premiums unobtainable elsewhere”
Early career
Milton started his career in underwriting, working for large insurance companies and progressing his way towards the role of States Underwriting Manager. During this time, he worked across domestic and international business and began to build specialist expertise across the hospitality sector.
A strong desire to get closer to the individual client led Milton to leave underwriting after 15 years and take up a career in broking, where he contracted for a large corporate broker for five years.
PACE
Milton started PACE Insurance in 2009 alongside Dwayne Haydon, Grant Bishop and Jason Bakras out of a desire to deliver more personalized, transparent broking services – something they were finding increasingly difficult working for large corporates. PACE was built with a commitment to providing highly tailored services for clients, including dedicating effort towards actively managing business risk – an approach that has only grown in significance with recent market turbulence.
“I get extreme satisfaction from advising clients on how to successfully reduce their risk, enabling us to secure more competitive premiums”
As well as servicing a large book of business, Milton oversees business operations with Grant Bishop, which includes management of over 25 staff across Australia. Together, with the other Directors, they have built a company culture that prioritises work-life balance and family;
“We (Directors) are all very family-oriented so this is something we want to extend to our team – who know they can rely on our support when life gets in the way”.
Grant Bishop is a Director and Co-Founder at PACE Insurance. With 30 years’ experience across publicly and privately owned brokers, Grant has built up a wealth of experience and knowledge that has placed him firmly into Australia’s top-tier brokers. Grant took a specialist interest in commercial property early in his career and so offers decades of insights, accumulated through everchanging and cyclical insurance markets. This knowledge has been pivotal in the development of the PACE Commercial Property Insurance scheme, which stands on its own as the most comprehensive of its kind in the market. Grant supports a range of clients at PACE, including consulting them on their approach to risk management and how to mitigates against liability clams, while securing competitive premiums in a challenging and volatile market.
Early career
Grant began his career at public broker JLT (now MARSH), before moving into private broking; including with Freeman McMurrick, where he spent 10 years. Across that time, Grant worked his way into a Senior Account Executive role and began to hone his expertise while responding to market challenges, including periods of uncertainty and new reform. It was here that Grant developed a niche understanding of commercial property and began to provide bespoke insurance products to property owner clients.
Pace
In 2009, Grant partnered with Dwayne Haydon, Jason Bakras, and Milton Gonzalez to create PACE Insurance – where he pursued the delivery of more personalized, transparent broking services and continued to build upon what would become the most competitive, comprehensive commercial property product for his clients. Over a decade later, the PACE business places $60m in premiums annually, including the protection of over $50b of assets.
“We are extremely proud of the strong and sustainable business we have built and our ability to secure the right cover for our clients time and time again.”
As well as servicing a large book of business, Grant oversees business operations with Milton Gonzalez, which includes management of over 25 staff across Australia. Together, with the other Directors, they have built a talented team with a strong focus on culture,
“We take a lot of care in building the right culture each time we grow our team. As a result, everyone that works here we genuinely care about each other, as well as their clients”.
With over 35 years of experience in the risk management and insurance industry, Jason is a respected Director at PACE Insurance Pty Ltd, specializing in reducing business risk and enhancing investment returns through strategic risk transference solutions. His expertise lies in understanding the unique and evolving risks businesses face, often before they become apparent to the market. By building and maintaining strong relationships with insurers and risk managers, Jason delivers tailored, high-performance solutions that provide exceptional value in the protection of assets and liabilities
Jason’s commitment to advancing business continuity is at the core of his work. He combines a deep knowledge of risk management with a personal touch, ensuring every client receives a comprehensive and carefully structured policy that meets their specific needs.
Key Achievements & Accolades:
Jason began his career in 1987 at IDA Insurance Brokers, specializing in construction risk under the mentorship of Dr. Ian Duthie. He went on to hold key roles at Freeman McMurrick, Australia’s largest privately owned broking house, where he learned from industry giants such as the late John McMurrick ,Geoff Freeman, Jim Malady, Steve Maxwell and Bob Hayball. His career continued to thrive at Aon, where he played a key role in expanding their middle market sales team and specializing in large-scale commercial property portfolios.
Outside of his professional life, Jason is a dedicated classical guitarist with 30 years of experience, enjoys gardening, and maintains an active lifestyle through fitness.
Dwayne Haydon is a Director and Founder of PACE Insurance, bringing nearly 30 years of expertise in insurance broking.
As a recognised insurance expert to the hospitality, commercial property, retail, and manufacturing sectors, Dwayne has been instrumental in providing strategic guidance to a wide range of businesses. His expertise extends beyond traditional broking, as he serves as a trusted advisor to numerous hotel and club associations, offering insights on industry risks, regulatory changes, and emerging insurance trends.
Despite his leadership role, he remains highly engaged with clients, ensuring a hands-on, personalised approach to their insurance needs.
“I thrive on being actively involved in finding the right policies for my clients. Rolling up my sleeves and taking action when they need me most is what keeps me motivated.”
Early Career
Dwayne began his career at global insurance giant AON, where he honed his skills before expanding his expertise overseas, including a stint in London. Returning to Melbourne in 2006, he managed the hospitality facility with the Australian Hotels Association (AHA), deepening his industry connections and gaining firsthand insight into the unique challenges faced by clients in the hotel, licensed club and general hospitality sector.
With a strong foundation in servicing a large client portfolio, Dwayne later transitioned into new business development, broadening his industry knowledge and refining his sales acumen. It was during this time that the vision for PACE Insurance was born.
Founding PACE Insurance
In 2009, Dwayne co-founded PACE Insurance alongside Grant Bishop, Jason Bakras, and Milton Gonzalez, driven by a desire to offer a more client-focused, premium broking service. His deep industry relationships and expertise in hospitality insurance played a pivotal role in building PACE’s initial portfolio—many of those first clients remain with PACE today.
“We started from scratch in 2009, and today, we place over $60 million in premiums annually, making us the largest brokerage within Insurance Advisernet.
Now leading the South Australia office, Dwayne continues to work closely with clients across Australia, delivering tailored insurance solutions with a commitment to excellence.
