About Esure
Esure Group plc is a personal lines insurance company that offers home, car, multi-car, and travel insurance products to approximately 2.35 million customers and more than 1.8 million car customers. Its insurance brands include Esure, Esure Broker, Sheilas’ Wheels, and Sheilas’ Wheels Broker.
The Esure brand has been awarded a five-star rating with Defaqto for its home and motor insurance products and its association with various campaigns such as the “Safe Drive, Stay Alive” education events for young drivers. In 2005, Esure Group extended its services to the women’s car insurance market by introducing Sheilas’ Wheels.
In November 2011, Esure Group launched Esure Broker and Sheilas’ Wheels Broker using a panel of external insurers to broaden the company’s reach within the car insurance market and promote additional insurance products without the risks associated with directly underwriting the business. Its broker customers benefit from standard bag cover and online policy management.
History of Esure
General insurance entrepreneur Sir Peter Wood founded Esure Group plc in 2000 to provide good value insurance products.
In 2001, Esure started selling car and home insurance. In 2005, it launched Sheilas’ Wheels and pet insurance for cats and dogs, and it also became the first insurance company to provide pest cover as part of home insurance. In 2007, it launched online access to a van and motorbike insurance comparison service.
It continued to grow organically and through acquisitions throughout the years until Blue Bidco Limited acquired the company in December 2018.
Leadership at Esure
David McMillan – CEO
McMillan joined Esure as CEO in July 2019 after serving senior roles for many years. Before joining Esure, he was the group CEO of QBE. Previously, he served as the chairman of global health insurance and CEO for Europe and India at Aviva plc.
McMillan also served as group transformation officer and CEO of UK general insurance at Aviva. He joined the company in 2002 after a decade with the management consulting arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Culture at Esure
Esure implements initiatives that focus on community and issues engagement, charity, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion. It has a longstanding relationship with Surrey Fire Brigade and its Safe Drive Stay Alive campaign, which teaches drivers about road safety.
It also encourages its people to nominate causes, and it works and invests in organisations and charities that share its core values. In 2019, it continued to engage with national organisations such as Thatcham Research, Road Peace, BRAKE, and the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety. Aside from monetary donations, Esure’s Glasgow team collects Christmas lunch boxes yearly for Loaves & Fishes, a charity providing essential food items to families. Meanwhile, its Manchester team nominated Macmillan Cancer Support in 2014, resulting in a £6,000 donation at the end of the year. The team also supported Children in Need, Points Parents’ Forum, and Homeless Hounds.
Aside from helping local communities, Esure is conscious of its effects on the environment. As a result, it looks into its annual carbon footprint and invests in systems to ensure that its offices run efficiently. The company reduced 12% carbon footprint in 2014 compared to 2013, and its headquarters reduced 27%.
The company also focuses on improving gender diversity in the workplace. As of September 2019, it had 26% women in senior roles. Its current diversity split across the branches is 49.7% women and 50.3% men.
A deal could happen as soon as next year
Aviva has until Dec 25 to announce firm intention to make an offer or walk away
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