This article was produced with Aviva.
Through its proprietary platform Fast Trade and partnerships with the Acturis eTrade software house, Aviva’s digital operation empowers brokers serving small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with simple, fast, and increasingly sophisticated digital insurance solutions.
As e-trading continues to grow at a double-digit pace, the insurer is positioning itself at the forefront of digital insurance transformation. Embedded insurance opportunities, more flexible trading models, and deeper broker relationships are all on the horizon, according to members of Aviva’s digital team.
For Derek Cowie (pictured below), head of SME change & transformation at Aviva, steady growth and constant innovation set Aviva apart in the broker e-trading space.
“A lot of our platform development is driven by broker feedback, but we also try to anticipate needs, introducing new features brokers didn’t even know they needed,” Cowie said.
When Aviva launched its Fast Trade platform in 2009, the support structure behind it was relatively modest. But recognizing the growing role digital would play in insurance distribution, Aviva made a pivotal decision: to scale not just its technology, but its team.
"We went from a small change team of two people to 17 specialists focused purely on improving Fast Trade," said Cowie.
The platform has matured from a modest extranet to a market leader, consistently ranked number one by brokers. Fast Trade now offers 17 personal, commercial, and specialty insurance products.
Kat Halbert (pictured below), head of digital operations at Aviva, credits Fast Trade’s success to more than just software. “Technology is only half the story,” she said. “Behind any strong platform is a strong service model. Our trained underwriters are on hand to help brokers when they need support—real people, making real decisions.”
On the underwriting side, growth has been even more dramatic. From just two underwriting handlers supporting digital cases, Aviva’s e-trading underwriting team now numbers around 175 highly trained underwriters, with additional hires continuously in the pipeline.
“We continue to invest in training and technology, making sure our underwriters can handle more complex risks because that’s what brokers need as digital trading evolves,” said Halbert.
The team has expanded its product capabilities to handle more complexity over the years. Liz Walsh (pictured below), digital trading and distribution manager at Aviva, also highlighted:
“We also have one of the broadest appetites in the market, meaning we’re able to quote more risks, and that puts brokers in a better position to win more business,” said Walsh.
Recognising a gap in the market, Aviva has also launched a dedicated Commercial Combined underwriting team, now 18 strong, specialising in more complex SME risks.
The team enables brokers to place sophisticated businesses like manufacturers, wholesalers, and leisure companies through the digital platform without sacrificing expert guidance.
Walsh explained that this is Aviva’s most complex and comprehensive digital insurance product. ‘Commercial Combined is for businesses that don’t neatly fit into one of our standard packages. We cover around 1,800 trades across a broad spectrum, and trade selection is often tricky.’ She said. ‘By having underwriters who specialise in this area, we give brokers the support they need to confidently place more sophisticated risks digitally’.
Future enhancements on the digital side will include offering more product flexibility, such as removing mandatory covers to give brokers and clients greater choices, developing new offerings, and streamlining submission questions to make quoting faster and more intuitive.
“One area of focus is developing a new Contractors Combined product. It’s a big opportunity for digitisation,” said Cowie. “This is a segment we currently handle in mid-market, but we see strong digital potential.
“We’re also refreshing a couple of our specialty lines: our Freight and Professional Indemnity products. These are being rebuilt to better meet broker expectations and will be made available via eTrade for the first time.”
As the team has grown, Aviva has also invested heavily in operational technology to support its people. Deployments like enriched client data fields and artificial (AI) triage tools allow underwriters to focus on high-value tasks, not administrative bottlenecks
Halbert added: “Service is key, so we’re also looking at other technology solutions that can help us keep a step ahead and ensure we continue to deliver for our brokers. We’ve recently introduced Qbuster which offers brokers the option to hang up without losing their place in the queue. When their call reaches the front of the queue we’ll automatically call them back. It’s proved especially helpful at peak call times and means our brokers can get on with their day rather than being stuck on hold.” She also confirmed that the digital team has invested in real-time resourcing and other capabilities to reduce broker wait times and optimise service.
Our underwriters answer around 1000 calls daily, with c70% of them answered within 30 seconds " noted Kat Halbert, Hof Digital Operations. "That level of service isn’t possible without the right people and tools working seamlessly together."
Over the past decade, Aviva’s digital trading team has transformed the way brokers serve small to mid-sized businesses with increasingly sophisticated insurance needs. Its journey shows that success in digital insurance isn’t just about tech; it’s about building strong teams that truly understand broker needs.
"The broker relationship is evolving," noted Halbert. "It's no longer just transactional. Our underwriters are becoming trusted partners: helping brokers navigate complexity, build stronger portfolios, and deliver better outcomes for their clients."
Looking ahead, Cowie sees the next five years as an acceleration of current trends in the broker e-trading space. “The double-digit growth we’ve seen over the last five to eight years is going to continue,” he said. “We’ll keep expanding products, raising limits, and building broker confidence. I expect the line between digital trading and mid-market will blur.
“Eventually, all insurance transactions will involve digital in some way, whether it’s full-cycle quoting and binding, or just initial onboarding. Embedded insurance may play a bigger role, as will bespoke digital trading for partners who want to differentiate through niche products or unique trading models.”
With an expanded underwriting force and next-generation digital platforms, Aviva is geared to lead that next wave of e-trading innovation. For Walsh, the focus remains on partnership.
“It’s about helping brokers through that journey,” Walsh said. “It’s about showcasing our capabilities and giving them tools and service models to trade more complex risks digitally.”
Learn more about Aviva’s Fast Trade and digital offerings here: https://connect.avivab2b.co.uk/broker/commercial/small-business/