The head of a claims management giant has urged senior figures in the industry to empower young people, saying they deserve a chance to innovate now – not just in the future.
“Young up-and-comers in the insurance industry are used to hearing things like ‘you are our future’,” says John McNamara, CEO and MD of Gallagher Bassett. “I’ve tried to make my message ‘you are our present – your time is now’.”
McNamara has spent more than 30 years in the industry, including the past six in the top job at Gallagher Bassett – he says the organisation prides itself on recognising the valuable contributions made by its younger staff, rather than promising them rewards in the future.
“Young people are typically the forefront of the service delivery process, solving problems for customers in the here and now,” he tells Insurance Business. “That’s why a lot of our best ideas come from our people on the ground – they are the heart of innovation for Gallagher Bassett.”
Of course, tapping into this innovation brings benefits to the business but it’s not always easy to do and McNamara says the firm is committed to instilling confidence in young people while also creating reliable avenues for them to share their ideas.
“Encouraging staff to have an impact on the business is the logical thing to do but, to do that, you have to make the opportunities for innovation obvious,” he says. “You have to make it easy for people to contribute, and you have to make it rewarding.”
To better facilitate this process, McNamara and his team have established an innovation framework, which gives staff the opportunity to think and operate outside of their normal day-to-day roles.
“We want to offer a supportive and team-oriented culture in which employees can thrive,” says McNamara. “I know that if we take care of our people, they will take care of our clients and our communities.”
