There will soon be a change at the top of the Credit Hire Organisation (CHO).
Kirsty McKno (pictured), chair of the trade association, has set out plans to step down on the back of a four-year term. Her decision brings to a conclusion a run that has seen her help modernise the organisation, including launching a new CHO Constitution which involved the creation of a strategic board featuring senior executives from member companies.
“The strategic board, which takes over on November 05, is the next step in further professionalising the CHO and will ensure that the trade body continues to lead on behalf of its members during this very challenging period for the claims industry,” she said.
“The board will help connect and align those at the very top of our industry with the daily challenges faced by our members and the hundreds of thousands of customers they serve each year.”
During her tenure, the association has undergone a host of changes with the focus on making it more professional and pursuing a policy of positive engagement.
“Credit hire is complex and poorly understood by many people in the claims industry, let alone the general public, but it fulfils a vital service for consumers needing mobility after an accident,” she said.
“We have worked hard to educate stakeholders about credit hire. In professionalising the organisation, we have carved out our seat at the claims industry table to ensure our members’ interests and concerns are properly taken account of by regulators, policy makers and officials, as well as insurers.”
In particular, she pointed to an agreement between GTA subscribers – both CHCs and insurers – to support motor claims throughout the lockdown.
“Signing such an agreement would have been unthinkable five-ten years ago, but the lockdown showed how closely interconnected we are in the claims industry and it was important to find agreement with insurers so that claims could be settled and customers had mobility,” she said.
