With the many perils insurance companies help clients protect themselves against, there’s one risk that Gresham Underwriting trading manager Adam Bevis (pictured) is glad to have made the jump for.
Here the whiskey collector talks to Insurance Business about his ‘unintentional’ career, where he draws fulfilment from, and where he might be if not at Tasker Insurance Group’s managing general agent (MGA).
What made you pursue a career in insurance?
My career in insurance actually started unintentionally. I managed to obtain an admin role at Heath Lambert in the summer period prior to starting an apprenticeship as an electrician. However, within the period an assistant underwriting role became available, and I decided to take the plunge and commit to a career in insurance.
I was attracted to the breadth and depth of the industry and the different sectors in which you could learn. I still learn something new about the industry daily and am happy that I took the risk.
In your more than a decade in the industry, what have been the biggest challenges for you?
One of the biggest personal challenges I have faced is the initial step into a leadership role. You are now relied upon by people in a different way and have to react to things that cause detriment to your team rather than you as an individual. It’s a steep learning curve but one that I continue to relish.
From a company perspective, I think a great challenge to Gresham is the ever-expanding MGA market space. At Gresham we are always trying to innovate and adapt in how we transact with our broker partners and carriers. This will always be a challenge as I feel if you rest on your laurels you could quickly become ‘yesterday’s news’.
As trading manager at Gresham Underwriting, what do you consider as the most fulfilling aspect of the role?
Without a doubt the most fulfilling aspect of the role is helping people understand their potential and their importance in the company we are trying to grow. Achievement of our company goals comes from a collaborative team effort, and I put a great importance on trying to instil this in the team.
How would you describe the MGA’s relationship with brokers?
The relationship with our brokers is a fruitful one. Our broker panel at Gresham appreciates the prompt and reliable service we provide, the ease of doing business with us, which includes the speed of our instant quote platform and the breadth of our product proposition. We find that brokers are often surprised and delighted by how broad the product range is.
This is also backed up by an underwriting team with a wealth of experience in the classes of business we write. We can quickly provide access and expertise to areas of the market that the larger insurers cannot. In return we have a large broker panel that is long-serving and loyal.
If you were to leave insurance for another sector, which one and why?
My father owns a butcher and has built a successful business from this trade. If I left the industry, I’m sure I would try something along these lines using my father’s knowledge. However, he is famous for stating that there is ‘no money in meat’! I somehow doubt this.
Name one thing your peers probably don’t know about you.
I have the makings of a decent single malt whiskey collection. These are bottles that are usually not for consumption and are bought as an investment to be sold at a later date. However, I recently broke this rule and opened a 30-year-old Glenfarclas to celebrate the birth of my first daughter.
