The last year has been one of ups and downs for the insurance market. With the New Year on the horizon, Insurance Business reached out to leaders from brokerages, insurers and MGAs across the market to hear about what successes they’ve enjoyed – and what a great 2025 looks like to them.
Choosing just a few milestone moments proved a tough task for Amy Brettell (pictured left), managing director at Zurich Municipal, as 2024 was a standout year. However, she said, the thing that is always “guaranteed to put a smile on face” is hearing examples and feedback of where the team have demonstrated their passion for helping a consumer base so integral to society.
“When our customers have claims they can impact some of the most vulnerable in society,” she said. “So, I'm particularly proud of the support that we've been able to provide; whether that is protecting much loved community spaces, recovering from a major event or supporting the mental health of those impacted by tragic events.
“I'm also really proud of the new propositions that we've launched, which are tailored to the unique needs of our public and voluntary sector customers. We've also been going through some exciting digital transformations, and I've loved seeing the creativity and innovation from the team.”
Alongside all of this, she said, the team still found time to give back - putting on a race event for a local dementia centre, a cause close both to her heart and many others.
For Nigel Palmer, CEO of AUK MGA, Acrisure, 2024 was the year that the company was able to “prove the sceptics wrong”. “I totally understand the critics,” he said. “I was a broker my entire career and I too became disillusioned by the many false promises made to me.
“But this is precisely why I set up the business in the way I have done. Our service proposition is one of transparency, honesty and a genuine partnership approach.”
As to what a great 2025 looks like for him and the team, Palmer said it might not be the most exciting answer, but they would welcome more of the same of what 2024 delivered. The business has now laid some strong foundations, he said, and its acquisition of Modus Underwriting towards the end of 2023 means that Acrisure UK MGA is now able to go to market as a genuine one stop shop for the SME broker looking for a suite of products across liability and property lines. “We have comfortably exceeded our 2024 growth plans,” he said, “So, as CEO all I can ask for is more of the same.”
Also looking to the New Year, Caroline Dunn (pictured right), chief underwriting officer at Zurich UK, said that a great 2025 will see the business focused on growing its customer base, particularly among small to medium sized enterprises and across the UK regions. “We will continue to provide a great service so that our customers and brokers will want to continue to work with us and we’ll tailor how we do that with new online solutions, live chat as well as access to our underwriters.
“Part of that will also mean making sure we are providing the products and coverage that are able to evolve to meet their needs. More generally, the thing everyone wants for next year is more predictability and stability, as that will mean we are much better able to manage the here and now and focus more on delivering for our customers and brokers.”
For Neil Campling (pictured centre), executive chairman at Verlingue, a great 2025 is ideally a stable one, though like many in the market he’s on the lookout for the next unknown challenge around the corner. In addition, he said, the focus for Verlingue will continue to be on developing its people to adapt to and meet these challenges head-on and with a positive attitude.
