Insurance Business spoke to the director about his experience working at the firm, and his plans for the future.
What has your experience with the One Broker group been like so far?
In the three months I have been working in the One Broker group, I have developed a very positive outlook of the business. I’ve found the staff I work with on a daily basis to be technically adept and customer focused, both vital attributes required in a regulatory market. The business itself has many strengths, key being its ability to be flexible and adapt to a multitude of market and environmental changes. The focus on new and emerging sectors, like life science and bio tech, is particularly exciting, as is the continued development of established schemes, such as KTIB Ambulance which has experienced success over a short period of time in a very niche market.
What challenges have you faced as the group’s Broking Director?
What I’ve focused on as the group’s new broking director is creating a shared vision that all members of the One Broker team can get behind. Making this happen in reality is a challenge, as it would be in all businesses. What is important is communicating a clear desire to pull together across the business, and changing how we work to achieve this. I have been encouraged by everyone’s desire to be part of, and importantly, contribute to, the success of the group. I am a great believer of ‘doing’ and ‘delivering’ and truly feel this highlights us as the best in class to both clients and insurer partners.
What aspects of your role have been the most rewarding?
So far, I have found the most rewarding part of my job to be getting to know all our staff. My primary motivation is to build a successful team and I can see that this is achievable as I have no doubts about the ability and desire of my colleagues. On a more personal note, one of the most rewarding aspects is learning how to run a successful, independent business. I believe the growth of each of the businesses can be delivered by motivating our staff and by offering winning propositions for our clients.
What do you think makes the One Broker group unique?
I think the fact that the group is growing larger, yet still remains truly independent – an increasingly rare phenomenon in the industry – makes it uniquely placed. One Broker is a forward-looking business which is continuously aiming to increase its capabilities and service to customers by acquiring new companies. For example, we recently added John Albion’s specialist thatch scheme to our proposition. Partnering with Acturis to develop efficient solutions for the SME market has also provided a great opportunity to invest in our business and make sustainable plans for the future. Claims is often described as the shop window of our industry, and the delegated authority we have from several leading insurers not only demonstrates our technical excellence but also allows us to deliver on promises to our customers. This certainly differentiates us from many of our broker peers.
