COVERED IN 15: Recent Episodes
Ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical, an award-winning specialist insurer, discusses topics relevant to brokers with leading experts who will provide insight and guidance, all in 15 minutes.
Run time: 15:52
Description:
Join us for this episode of Covered in 15, where our host Geoff Turner talks with Richard Coleman, Managing Director at Ecclesiastical General Insurance UK about embracing ambitious business growth plans and the challenges along the way.
They explore the importance of purpose-driven leadership and share valuable insights on discovering your ‘why’, building on existing strengths, and fostering a culture of innovation and risk-taking. Richard also reflects on his leadership journey at Ecclesiastical, discussing the company’s remarkable growth, navigating market changes, and overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Quote:
Richard Coleman on planning a growth journey:
“...Find your way, make it really personal, figure out your strengths and those few things that you want to try and change, and then try and create the culture where you can have that open dialog about what you're collectively trying to achieve and the bumps you will get along the way and accept them as real, powerful things for you.”
Resources:
Find out more information about Ecclesiastical’s products and purpose-driven approach to business.
About the Guest:
Richard Coleman is Managing Director at Ecclesiastical General Insurance UK. Since joining in 2020, he has led the organisation through a period of transformative growth, focusing on building a purpose-driven culture and expanding into new markets. With a background in economics and extensive experience in senior management roles across the industry, Richard brings a unique perspective on leadership and growth.
About the Host:
Geoff Turner, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is the host of this Covered in 15 podcast series, where he explores critical themes and insights for brokers. Geoff aims to provide valuable perspectives that support brokers and their clients in achieving successful outcomes.
DisclaimerThis podcast is provided for information purposes only and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein should not be considered as a substitute for seeking professional advice in specific circumstances.All opinions expressed are the individual's own and not of (or to be affiliated with) Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc or its group companies and affiliates (“Ecclesiastical”).Ecclesiastical shall not be liable for your use or any reliance on, or action taken (or not taken) by you and any loss, however incurred, as a result; all responsibility for such is excluded (except for that which cannot be excluded by law) by Ecclesiastical.Please note that over time the information contained herein may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes. You acknowledge that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes to this recording.
Run time: 15:52
Description:
Join us for this episode of Covered in 15, where our host Geoff Turner talks with Richard Coleman, Managing Director at Ecclesiastical General Insurance UK about embracing ambitious business growth plans and the challenges along the way.
They explore the importance of purpose-driven leadership and share valuable insights on discovering your ‘why’, building on existing strengths, and fostering a culture of innovation and risk-taking. Richard also reflects on his leadership journey at Ecclesiastical, discussing the company’s remarkable growth, navigating market changes, and overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Quote:
Richard Coleman on planning a growth journey:
“...Find your way, make it really personal, figure out your strengths and those few things that you want to try and change, and then try and create the culture where you can have that open dialog about what you're collectively trying to achieve and the bumps you will get along the way and accept them as real, powerful things for you.”
Resources:
Find out more information about Ecclesiastical’s products and purpose-driven approach to business.
About the Guest:
Richard Coleman is Managing Director at Ecclesiastical General Insurance UK. Since joining in 2020, he has led the organisation through a period of transformative growth, focusing on building a purpose-driven culture and expanding into new markets. With a background in economics and extensive experience in senior management roles across the industry, Richard brings a unique perspective on leadership and growth.
About the Host:
Geoff Turner, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is the host of this Covered in 15 podcast series, where he explores critical themes and insights for brokers. Geoff aims to provide valuable perspectives that support brokers and their clients in achieving successful outcomes.
DisclaimerThis podcast is provided for information purposes only and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein should not be considered as a substitute for seeking professional advice in specific circumstances.All opinions expressed are the individual's own and not of (or to be affiliated with) Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc or its group companies and affiliates (“Ecclesiastical”).Ecclesiastical shall not be liable for your use or any reliance on, or action taken (or not taken) by you and any loss, however incurred, as a result; all responsibility for such is excluded (except for that which cannot be excluded by law) by Ecclesiastical.Please note that over time the information contained herein may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes. You acknowledge that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes to this recording.
Run time: 13:51
Description:
In this episode of Covered in 15, our host Geoff Turner talks with Laura Carter about the importance of understanding target markets and customer needs in product development. They also discuss leveraging company’s DNA and engaging staff to develop a strategy and achieve common goals. Laura shares her experience with the development of our new Leisure and Office Professions products, emphasising team engagement and broker and customer testing.
Quote:
"Effective product development is not just about innovation; it's about creating solutions that resonate with your target audience."
Resources:
Ecclesiastical Leisure Product
Ecclesiastical Office Professions
Target Market Statements
About the Guest
Laura Carter is the Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical, where she plays a crucial role within the broader underwriting department. Her responsibilities include ensuring regulatory compliance, leading product and proposition development, and engaging with customers to understand and respond to their needs. Laura has been instrumental in the successful launch of several key products, including the Leisure and Office Professions lines.
About the Host:
Geoff Turner, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is the host of this Covered in 15 podcast series, where he explores important themes and insights for brokers. Through engaging conversations with Ecclesiastical experts, Geoff aims to provide valuable perspectives that support brokers and their clients in achieving successful outcomes.
Disclaimer
This podcast is provided for information purposes only and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein should not be considered as a substitute for seeking professional advice in specific circumstances.
All opinions expressed are the individuals own and not of (or to be affiliated with) Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc or its group companies and affiliates (“Ecclesiastical”).
Ecclesiastical shall not be liable for your use or any reliance on, or action taken (or not taken) by you and any loss, however incurred, as a result; all responsibility for such is excluded (except for that which cannot be excluded by law) by Ecclesiastical.
Please note that over time the information contained herein may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes. You acknowledge that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes to this recording.
Run time: 13:51
Description:
In this episode of Covered in 15, our host Geoff Turner talks with Laura Carter about the importance of understanding target markets and customer needs in product development. They also discuss leveraging company’s DNA and engaging staff to develop a strategy and achieve common goals. Laura shares her experience with the development of our new Leisure and Office Professions products, emphasising team engagement and broker and customer testing.
Quote:
"Effective product development is not just about innovation; it's about creating solutions that resonate with your target audience."
Resources:
Ecclesiastical Leisure Product
Ecclesiastical Office Professions
Target Market Statements
About the Guest
Laura Carter is the Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical, where she plays a crucial role within the broader underwriting department. Her responsibilities include ensuring regulatory compliance, leading product and proposition development, and engaging with customers to understand and respond to their needs. Laura has been instrumental in the successful launch of several key products, including the Leisure and Office Professions lines.
About the Host:
Geoff Turner, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is the host of this Covered in 15 podcast series, where he explores important themes and insights for brokers. Through engaging conversations with Ecclesiastical experts, Geoff aims to provide valuable perspectives that support brokers and their clients in achieving successful outcomes.
Disclaimer
This podcast is provided for information purposes only and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein should not be considered as a substitute for seeking professional advice in specific circumstances.
All opinions expressed are the individuals own and not of (or to be affiliated with) Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc or its group companies and affiliates (“Ecclesiastical”).
Ecclesiastical shall not be liable for your use or any reliance on, or action taken (or not taken) by you and any loss, however incurred, as a result; all responsibility for such is excluded (except for that which cannot be excluded by law) by Ecclesiastical.
Please note that over time the information contained herein may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes. You acknowledge that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes to this recording.
Run time: 14.40
Description:
In this episode, we talk about the importance of valuations to understand the value of assets and keeping them up to date, especially in the current market conditions where material and manufacturing costs are constantly fluctuating. The valuation provides clients with a detailed report on their assets to support them in agreeing the correct sums insured and for the insurer in the event of a claim. Clients may be reluctant to get a valuation due to the cost, but they are important to establish the assets’ true value to avoid underinsurance and sometimes, over insurance. A professional valuation is often accompanied by additional benefits including expert advice on how to care for precious items and how to help them retain their maximum value over time. When choosing a valuer clients should practice necessary due diligence and ensure they select professionals that operate in the relevant field.
Quote:
“Any luxury watch valued more than a year ago, or jewellery valued more than two years ago will most likely be underinsured. Your client’s items may also be over-valued, so it’s really important to have an accurate and up-to-date valuation.”
Resources:
What's the value of a valuation?
Learn more about Doerr Dallas Valuations
Rachel Doerr’s LinkedIn Profile
Sarah Willoughby’s LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Rachel Doerr is the Founder and Managing Director of Doerr Dallas Valuations, an independent bespoke valuation company of fine art, antiques, jewellery, watches, and more.
About the Host
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Business Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high net worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was Deputy Managing Director and over the years has been involved in all aspects of the business bringing a wealth of high net worth expertise and knowledge.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Doerr Dallas Valuations, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In using the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Doerr Dallas Valuations have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
In the special edition of Covered in 15, Former Army Officer-turned landmine clearance specialist Chris Moon suggests that we can all develop the resilience to survive life’s most profound challenges. Having been taken prisoner by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, threatened with execution on multiple occasions, and lost two limbs in an explosion, Chris chose never to perceive himself as a victim. This choice to take ownership of his situation ultimately saved his life.
The psychological principles that underpin this can also be applied in our lives, whenever we face hardship. To cope in our intense and ever-challenging working environment, it is key to develop and maintain resilience, by ensuring that we recharge our psychological batteries. This can be achieved by being open and honest with others, actively articulating your feelings and having frank, honest conversations, we can all challenge the concept of self-limitation.
This is Adrian’s final episode of Covered in 15, and we wish him all the best as he transitions into a well-earned retirement.
Quote:
“Some people innately have [resilience]. I passionately believe that it can be taught. You may have to go back and change people's core beliefs, and give them confidence. Ultimately, it may not always feel like it, but the way we think determines how we feel. That’s the most important psychological discovery ever… We are who we choose to be. Even if we don't feel we have choices, in a kind of way, that's making a choice.”
Run time: 17:28
Resources:
- Chris Moon: https://www.chrismoon.co.uk/
- Chris Moon's LinkedIn Profile
- Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Chris Moon is a motivational speaker and workshop director, encouraging people to challenge the concept of limitation, inspired by his death-defying experiences as a British Army Officer and HALO Trust Program Manager.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and MTB Management Limited, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and MTB Management Limited, have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
With a woefully understaffed police force grappling with a recruitment crisis, coupled with the ongoing cost of living crisis and increasing polarisation across the political spectrum in the UK, crime is on the rise. To mitigate the risks, brokers can advise their private and corporate clients about how to better secure their properties. It’s crucial to think ‘beyond the perimeter’ of the property boundaries, and to consider what information prospective burglars could extrapolate about us, our behaviour, and the nature of our property via our online footprint. Regularly updating passwords, switching off location sharing, and being tactful with the information we share, we can significantly reduce the risks.
Quote:
“We take a slightly different approach to our property risk assessments. Most of the team are chartered security professionals. So, we come from quite a bespoke background. And we apply a layered approach to every property that we deal with. The first thing I'll talk about is what we call within the business beyond the perimeter. And that effectively means anything associated outside the property boundaries. And in simplistic terms, social media could be used.”
Run time: 14:43
Resources:
Personal Property Protection - Art and Private Client
Ecclesiastical Risk Management Services
Home security tips and advice
Cyber safety - protecting yourselves from online risks
Blackstone Consultancy
Simon Giddins’ LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Simon Giddins is the Founder and Managing Director of Blackstone Consultancy, a specialist risk management, security, and intelligence organisation, offering protective solutions to both corporate and private clients.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Blackstone Consultancy, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Blackstone Consultancy, have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
Private equity investors can help businesses with strategic decision-making, from formalising their processes to formulating a succession plan, thereby futureproofing the company against the uncertainties around the corner. The Connection Capital website linked below contains a wealth of resources explaining the industry in greater depth, including videos from CEOs and business chairs backed by the firm, granting insight into various companies’ experiences with a private equity backer.
In this episode, we explore the value of a private equity investment. The motivations for seeking private equity backing can vary from generating capital to being able to grow, foreseeing a succession plan and an eventual management buyout. Thus, there are many different flavours to private equity, and dealings with these firms do not necessitate a surrendering of majority control.
Quote:
“[When securing a private equity investment,] it should be a partnership, and in most cases, it's a partnership that works very well, where you've got various stakeholders in the business, whether it's the shareholders, the management team, the employees, the customers, the suppliers, everyone working together to make a success of that business and to grow it. There are generally bumps along the way, particularly if a business is in a growth phase, you very often get what's called growing pains, but as long as everyone's got that goal ahead of them, which is to build value in the business so that everyone benefits from it, then you should be fine.”
Run time: 14.13
Resources:
Connection Capital
Claire Madden’s LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Claire Madden is a Co-founder of Connection Capital, a private equity firm active in the UK SME space, investing between £3-10 million of equity per transaction. They seek to back ambitious management teams looking to grow their businesses.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Connection Capital, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Connection Capital, have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
The Benefact Trust is funded directly by the profits of the specialist financial companies within the Benefact Group. It has been instrumental in supporting churches and Christian charities across the country to retain their status as centres of orbit for charitable giving and community support.
In this episode, Trust Director Helen Gray talks about the aim for Benefact Trust to double its grant making in the next five years. This growth is underpinned by the commercial performance of the businesses within the Benefact Group, including Ecclesiastical Insurance, whose generated profits finance the Trust’s grant giving.
To find out more about the Trust, including the beneficiaries, how to apply for a grant, and more information about the Community Impact grants, visit the website linked below. If you’re a charity or an insurance broker with charitable clients, there is also a wealth of advice and resources available on the website for you to explore.
Run time: 14.44
Quote:
“To work for a charity that can give on the scale that Benefact gives is most charity workers’ absolute dream… The work the charity does is far reaching, [and] the fact that the charity actually owns the Benefact Group, a group of financial service businesses, places the Benefact Trust in a really enviable position."
Resources:
The Benefact Trust
The Benefact Trust Grants
How to apply for a grant
Helen Gray’s LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Helen Gray is the Trust Director for the Benefact Trust. Her previous roles include Foundation Director at the Hertfordshire Community Foundation, and Head of Operations at St Albans Cathedral, granting her first-hand insight into the positive impacts of organisations like Benefact.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Benefact Trust, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Benefact Trust have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
With the increased use of the internet and the widespread availability of (seemingly) free video, audio, photographic, illustrative and written digital material, copyright infringement claims have become more prevalent. This may be particularly troublesome for charitable organisations who perhaps feel they are exempt and therefore can use material on their websites or social media platforms, as they are not exhibiting or distributing them for profit. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and charities are by no means immune to copyright infringement court cases and fines that can run into thousands of pounds.
Quote:
“Brokers should be advising their charity and church organisation [clients] about all these sorts of claims. There is this general feeling amongst churches and charities that somehow, they're less likely to get into trouble with these sorts of things. And it's not only copyright; it's defamation, data breaches, inaccurate information... All these things are much more common because of the internet.”
Run time: 14.06
Resources:
Avoid the copyright web
Ecclesiastical - Charity Insurance
Ecclesiastical – Faith and Community Insurance
Clyde & Co – Nick Gibbons
Faith Kitchen’s LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Nick Gibbons is a Legal Director at Clyde & Co, where he specialises in intellectual property, cyber risk and data protection, and internet law.
About the Host:
Faith Kitchen is the Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical. Faith is responsible for developing and maintaining our products and propositions to meet the needs of our specialist target markets. She maintains relationships with a number of key bodies in the heritage, charity and education sector, to ensure we fully understand what is important to customers and can develop useful insight and thought leadership. Faith is a member of the Underwriting leadership Team. In her spare time, she serves as a Charity Trustee and a School Governor.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Clyde and Co, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Clyde & Co have no duty to provide such changes.
Description
In one of our previous episodes, we've discussed the support and fundraising resources available for charities from the Benefact Group during the cost-of-living crisis. In this episode, we’re speaking with Mick Clarke, CEO of The Passage, about the structural changes needed to facilitate the charity’s vision of eliminating street homelessness. Mick explains how charities have been substantially affected by the cost-of-living crisis, with donations decreasing, bills increasing, and resources being stretched thinner than ever, as people become increasingly at risk of becoming homeless.
Quote
“For me it's all about sustainable, lasting outcomes. That's the business that we're in. It's very easy just to feed people on the streets, but for us it's about helping people end their homelessness. We never end someone's homelessness; we just give them the tools to do it themselves.”
Run time: 14.59
Resources
The Passage is a charity providing support and services to those enduring street homelessness, envisioning a society in which everybody has a place called home. The charity also highlights the links between modern slavery and homelessness, with those sleeping on the streets at a significantly heightened risk of being exploited into doing illegitimate unpaid work. Learn more: The Passage
Benefact Group Fundraising Resources
How are charities being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis? - podcast
Mick Clarke’s LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Mick Clarke is the CEO of The Passage, a charity focused on ending street homelessness by providing preventative services, along with support for those already living on the streets.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and The Passage, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and The Passage, have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
In heritage businesses, if objects are subject to water, fire, or other forms of damage, a quick response is essential. Yet, some heritage organisations’ emergency plans are stifled by a slow decision-making process, lacking comms policy, or insufficient clarity regarding the delegation of authority in critical scenarios.
In this episode, Emma Dadson from Harwell Restoration talks about the impact that a well-devised emergency plan can have for heritage businesses. She highlights several resources available to help businesses create or further develop their emergency plans.
Quote:
“One thing I would really urge is that it's very easy to download a template plan, fill in the blanks, print it and say that's the job done. It’s really important to make sure that anything like that is really fine-tuned and made bespoke to a particular setup. So, make sure that you create a plan, but then you actually walk through it, practice it and then refine it from that point forward.”
Run time: 14.58
Resources:
Ecclesiastical – Risk Management
Ecclesiastical - Preparing Disaster Recovery Plan
Ecclesiastical - Disaster Recovery Guide
Ecclesiastical - Planning for recovery post-disaster
Harwell Restoration
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
Emma Dadson’s LinkedIn Profile
About the guest:
Emma Dadson is the Key Account Director at Harwell Restoration, one of Ecclesiastical’s trusted partners, which offers advice and bespoke post-incident solutions to heritage businesses.
About the host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Harwell Restoration, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Harwell Restoration have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
Email continues to prevail as the world’s preferred business communications medium. With around 320 billion emails sent and received a day, the risks of using email to send sensitive information are numerous and ever-expanding. Additionally, portals are gaining momentum from a data collection and customer communication point of view.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of using encryption to minimise reputational and regulatory risks to your business. In the event of a cyberattack or human error, we are obliged to inform the ICO. It will reflect much better on your business if a line of defence such as the right encryption is in place, and this will significantly reduce repeated incidents or indeed prevent them from happening in the first place.
Quote:
“People have become so used to using these mechanisms like email where the truth is, that's an open door. There are industrial scale businesses across the globe, where their only intention is to look out for those that aren't using a key and peer through the door to look at the information, and somehow misuse it. Now, that's potentially incredibly damaging, financially and reputationally. It can be catastrophic.”
Run time: 14.59
Resources:
To find out more about how to protect your email communications and better manage data handling, visit Beyond Encryption
Paul Holland’s LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Paul Holland is the CEO and Founder of Beyond Encryption, a cybersecurity business specialising in eliminating risk across email communications.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Beyond Encryption Ltd., shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Beyond Encryption Ltd. have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
ISO Energy is an Ecclesiastical preferred supplier, with extensive experience in providing sustainable heating and energy solutions across the country. With 17% of UK emissions produced by heating buildings, the national imperative to tackle this issue is growing ever stronger. With our access to cheap fossil fuel resources always dwindling, there’s no time like the present to begin transitioning to renewable heating solutions, such as heat pumps. However, misconceptions regarding the practicability of these solutions, their cost, and their incongruence with heritage site infrastructure continue to dissuade many clients from choosing them.
In this episode, we talk about the advantages of heat pumps installations, and explain how these systems are an investment in the environment and contribute to the broader reduction of carbon emissions.
Quote:
“We've done lots of work for churches, and obviously you're thinking about where you're getting energy from the immediate land surrounding the church, most of like nine times out of 10, that's a graveyard. We’ve got a lot of big old country houses and I would like to highlight the fact that heat pumps primarily can work in all buildings. There's a common misconception that heat pumps only work in nicely insulated two up two down sort of domestic houses, but actually, with the right product selection, the right design and the right integration into the system in most cases, a heat pump system can be made to work.”
Run time: 14.59
Resources:
To find out more visit: ISO Energy
Benefact Group – Understanding and reducing our own impact
Benefact Group – Our Climate Commitments
Heritage Risk Barometer
Edward Levien’s LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Edward Levien is the Commercial Director of ISO Energy, an Ecclesiastical preferred energy supplier, which is primarily focused on renewable heating systems.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and ISO Energy Ltd., shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and ISO Energy Ltd., have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
The new FCA Consumer Duty regulations will come into effect on the 31 July, affecting all open products and services in the financial services sector. Ecclesiastical have partnered with The Irrational Agency, a market research company specialising in behavioural economics, to help us acquire more in-depth customer insights and therefore assist our further compliance with the new regulations.
In this episode, we discuss how Consumer Duty regulations will reinforce reviewing of financial firms’ product offers with the needs of our customers at the heart of it. With a better understanding of customers’ behaviours, firms will be able to improve their products and communications, resulting in providing better services for higher customer satisfaction.
Quote:
“For firms that are already doing the right thing like ecclesiastical, [the impact of Consumer Duty] may not be revolutionary, but it will be a change in understanding even better where consumers might need a bit of extra help… But there are firms in the industry whose business model will be more challenged and who will have to make bigger changes because their customers might not be getting such good outcomes.”
Run time: 14.55
Resources:
Ecclesiastical Consumer Duty Update
The Irrational Agency
Consumer Duty principles - webinar
Consumer Duty - webinar
What does Consumer Duty mean for brokers? - podcast
Leigh Caldwell’s LinkedIn Profile
Faith Kitchen’s LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Leigh Caldwell is a Co-founder and Partner of the Irrational Agency, a market research agency which examines the overlap between psychology and economics, to help businesses better understand customer behaviour.
About the Host:
Faith Kitchen is Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical. Faith is responsible for developing and maintaining our products and propositions to meet the needs of our specialist target markets. She maintains relationships with a number of key bodies in the heritage, charity and education sector, to ensure we fully understand what is important to customers and can develop useful insight and thought leadership. Faith is a member of the Underwriting Leadership Team.
In her spare time she serves as a Charity Trustee and a School Governor.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and The Irrational Agency, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and The Irrational Agency have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
The Insurance Charities was established in 1902 and it’s the only charity in the UK and Ireland solely supporting current and former insurance employees whatever their role. Last year it awarded over £1.3m, supporting those in the insurance industry facing difficult times and life changing events.
In this special episode, recorded for Insurance Charities Awareness Week, Adrian Saunders talks to Victoria Sutton about the support which can be provided to insurance employees and their families in times of financial hardship or misfortune.
Quote:
“[By organising the Awareness Week] we want people to think about people in their insurance networks that might be struggling, and think, actually, you know what, I'll just mentioned that charity to that person, because I think they could do with it.”
Run time: 14.08
Resources:
To learn more about the support available visit: The Insurance Charities
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
Victoria Sutton’s LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Victoria Sutton, Marketing and Communications Manager at The Insurance Charities, charity offering support for current and former insurance employees and their dependants.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and The Insurance Charities, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and The Insurance Charities, have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 15 min
Description:
Most business-to-business (B2B) relationships are purely transactional, however, willingness to be vulnerable with other parties, and to work with them based on an assessment of their ability and credibility in their field, can result in a mutual value exchange and partnership development over time.
In this episode, Dr Mark Hollyoake explains his concept of the ‘S’ Curve of Trust, along which businesses can move as they share more information about one another and thus become increasingly interdependent.
Quote:
‘The more there's a common understanding and alignment, the more there is the sharing of plans and future aspirations that can make that initial transactional relationship far more immersive, and the two parties can work together for a common goal or a common good or for those mutual values.’
Resources:
Customer Attuned – The ‘S’ Curve of Trust – https://customerattuned.com/b2b-trust/the-s-curve-of-trust-1000-x-550px/
Chris Withers’ LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-withers-ab77761b
Dr Mark Hollyoake’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhollyoake/
About the Guest:
Dr Mark Hollyoake is an associate lecturer at the University of the West of England. He is also co-founder and Director of a customer management consultancy, Customer Attuned Ltd.
About the Host:
Chris Withers is the Broker Distribution Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance, and has over 25 years of experience in the industry. He previously worked for Covea and RSA.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Customer Attuned Ltd., shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Customer Attuned Ltd. have no duty to provide such changes.
Run Time: 12.20 mins
Description
Our broker survey* highlights that only 18% of brokers feel confident in advising clients about climate change. Yet, working with sustainable partners is becoming increasingly important for organisations across many sectors including heritage and education. Brokers have a significant role to play in supporting these organisations in making the right choices to become more sustainable.
In this episode, we explain how we can support brokers in not only becoming climate-literate and setting Net Zero targets within their own brokerage, but why we're the perfect partner to work with to support clients in their ambitions to being more sustainable and what steps we're taking to tackle the climate crisis.
*FWD Broker Climate Change Study 2023
Quote
“Step one for brokers, and for everyone, is to understand the situation and the science and get the support of your business, your customers, and your partners, to come together to accept and face up to this challenge. That creates the right environment to really do something about it. Step two is to understand your impact specifically, and therefore your opportunity in detail. There's no point focusing on electrifying your fleet if you don't have any cars. Focus on where your impact really is, and then work out how you can do something about it. Brokers are skilled and trusted advisors, so they are at the frontline of understanding what customers need and the challenges that they face. I think this is where brokers will continue to play a hugely impactful role.”
Resources
BIBA - BIBA’s Broker’s Guide to ESG
Benefact Group – Understanding and reducing our own impact
Benefact Group – Our Climate Commitments
Ecclesiastical Heritage Risk Barometer - Sustainability: The case gets stronger still
Ecclesiastical - Things to consider when constructing contemporary buildings at your school
Ecclesiastical – Practical actions towards Net Zero
Ecclesiastical – Become carbon literate to become Net Zero
Ecclesiastical – Risk Advice Line
Ecclesiastical preferred energy supplier ISO Energy
Faith Kitchen’s LinkedIn Profile
Chris Pitt’s LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest
Chris Pitt is the Impact Director at the Benefact Group. In this role, he is responsible for Ecclesiastical’s responsible business practices and leads the Corporate Responsibility strategy for the UK and overseas businesses.
About the Host
Faith Kitchen is Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical. Faith is responsible for developing and maintaining our products and propositions to meet the needs of our specialist target markets. She maintains relationships with a number of key bodies in the heritage, charity and education sector, to ensure we fully understand what is important to customers and can develop useful insight and thought leadership. Faith is a member of the Underwriting Leadership Team.
In her spare time she serves as a Charity Trustee and a School Governor.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 12.25 mins
Description:
The incidence of cause-related art attacks has grown rapidly in recent years, predominantly perpetrated by environmental activists such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion. The significant media attention from these attacks inevitably increases the likelihood of copycat incidents. As such, any event featuring high-profile artwork or artefacts, be it held by a heritage location or leisure gallery or by a high-net-worth individual at their home, is now potentially at risk of attack.
In this episode, we talk about what heritage and leisure organisations and private collectors can do when planning events to deter potential attackers, as well as explain how brokers can help to support their clients to ensure these pieces are preserved for future generations.
Quote:
“From a broker perspective, it is about engaging with the customers, to highlight the potential risk of attack, to share with them some of the good practice, to liaise with insurers, so that where their clients are planning these events, they can start to have that conversation with insurers and get advice and support. We have an in-house team of risk surveyors [at Ecclesiastical] that can provide advice and support; we have a risk advice line that's open to our customers. So, brokers that have policies with us and their customers can access that information to provide helpful additional advice.”
Resources:
Protecting public artwork and exhibits
Heritage Risk Barometer - Crime and punishment: Heritage pays the price
Art and Private Client Insurance
Fine Art and Collections Insurance
Risk Advice Line
David Parkinson’s LinkedIn Profile
Faith Kitchen’s LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
David Parkinson is the Risk Management Technical Services Manager for Ecclesiastical. In this role, he leads an in-house team of technical specialists providing customer support and risk insight, to help them manage the risks they face on a daily basis.
About the Host:
Faith Kitchen is Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical. Faith is responsible for developing and maintaining our products and propositions to meet the needs of our specialist target markets. She maintains relationships with a number of key bodies in the heritage, charity and education sector, to ensure we fully understand what is important to customers and can develop useful insight and thought leadership. Faith is a member of the Underwriting Leadership Team.
In her spare time she serves as a Charity Trustee and a School Governor.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
With this year’s BIBA Conference just around the corner, Steve White returns for the latest episode of Covered in 15. While the annual event constitutes the majority of headlines relating to BIBA, much of the organisation’s activities to support its members are listed in the BIBA Manifesto. It is collated through conversations across the country, granting members a voice in Westminster, where BIBA is lobbying the government to support their members’ interests.
To find out more, read this year’s BIBA Manifesto, linked below in the ‘Resources’ section.
Quote:
“In the Manifesto, we set out the issues, we set out our calls for action, things we want, and what we want the decision makers, whether they be the regulator, the civil servants, the politicians, etc, to do. We also set out a number of commitments for what we will do to help resolve the problem. That combination of suggesting solutions, calling for action, our commitments to put things right, all done in a transparent way, is what makes the Manifesto a very well received document down at Westminster.”
Run time: 14.36
Resources:
BIBA’s 2023 Manifesto: https://www.biba.org.uk/press-releases/biba-aims-to-manage-risk-and-deliver-stability-in-its-comprehensive-2023-manifesto/
Steve White’s LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/steve-white-437107a
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
About the Guest
Steve White is the CEO of the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), with an extensive career in the insurance industry. He previously worked at Orion Insurance Company and the Financial Services Authority, before initially joining BIBA as Head of Compliance and Training.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC and The British Insurance Brokers' Association shall not be liable, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and The British Insurance Brokers' Association has no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
The charity sector was severely impacted by the pandemic, with in-person fundraising events cancelled or postponed. Now, the cost-of-living crisis is profoundly affecting charities’ ability to fundraise as many people simply don’t have the funds to donate to charitable causes, and many charities reliant on corporate partnerships are seeing a decline in support.
In this episode, we discuss various ways of fundraising in the current economic situation and the resources available to charities from the Benefact Group, including fundraising tips, webinars and articles written by industry experts.
Quote:
“Issues that we are addressing at the Benefact Group working with charities are, the best way of getting the value from your trustees, recruiting and retaining volunteers, recognising volunteers and pitching funding applications. We're also trying to educate charities about things like stewardship and donor care. It's very, very important, particularly when we've got a cost-of-living crisis and less people are giving and people are giving less”.
Run time: 14.58
Resources:
Benefact Group – Fundraising in the cost-of-living crisis: https://benefactgroup.com/fundraising-resources/charity-fundraising-articles/fundraising-in-the-cost-of-living-crisis/
Benefact Group – Fundraising Resources: https://benefactgroup.com/fundraising-resources/
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
Ian Tate’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-tate-60303023/
About the guest:
Ian Tate is a fundraising expert with 30 years’ experience in charity, currently working as a Consultant with the Benefact Group advising on charity fundraising.
About the host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.45
Description:
The insurance market is becoming increasingly crowded. Given that many customers don’t understand the specifics of the industry, and often don’t have the time to conduct any research, how can you ensure that your business differentiates itself from competitors?
In this episode, MAP Training Director Alan Thompson highlights the importance of identifying the emotional and practical needs of your customers. Having done so, you can emphasise the particular aspects of your proposition that align with those needs during the subsequent sales process.
Quote:
‘The key is not to assume that we know what the customer needs are, and what's important to them. Because different customers will value different things. So, we've got to be prepared to find this out so that we can then match the appropriate parts of our proposition that enables us to address that need of the customer.’
Resources:
MAP Training: https://maptraining.co.uk/
Chris Withers’ LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-withers-ab77761b
Alan Thompson’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanthompson1/
About the Guest:
Alan Thompson is one of two founding Directors of MAP Training Ltd, a specialist training company. He has worked in the insurance industry for 35 years, beginning his career in marketing, strategy, and customer management roles, before transitioning into the design and delivery of training programs for insurance staff.
About the Host:
Chris Withers is the Broker Distribution Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance, and has over 25 years of experience in the industry. He previously worked for Covea and RSA.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and MAP Training Ltd., shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and MAP Training Ltd. have no duty to provide such changes.
Description:
Communication is crucial in our day-to-day life. However, our communication habits, both written and verbal, are often inefficient or ineffective.
In this episode, we’re speaking with business communications expert Andy Bounds about the importance of effective communication and the common mistakes people make when preparing for meetings, presentations and proposals. Andy highlights the importance of using the right channels and ensuring that we make a good first impression in business meetings and can sustain it, leading to good outcomes.
Quote:
"With communication, the most important two things to get right are the start and the end. So the start has to be engaging. And the end has to ask somebody to do something. So start engaging, and finish with a call to action."
Run time: 14:59
Resources:
Sign up for Andy Bound’s Tuesday Tips: Andy Bounds - Tips
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
Andy Bounds’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybounds
About the Guest:
Andy Bounds is a professional speaker and author, and a renowned expert in business communication and leadership.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Andy Bounds Ltd, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Andy Bounds Ltd have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 10.49
Description
What makes us experts in risk management? At Ecclesiastical, we recognise that a focused and comprehensive analysis of the risks facing our customers’ property, staff, or their organisation as a whole, is utterly essential. In this episode, we discuss the Risk Management team, the largest in our whole organisation and led by highly trained professionals with extensive knowledge of various types of risk. Furthermore, we articulate our unique understanding of the problems facing our customers, which enables us to execute balanced and proportionate solutions to them.
Quote
"We’ve got a wealth of expertise and we place a huge amount of reliance on training, our technical department and ensuring a minimum level of professional qualification. We’re blessed with a wonderful technical team, who not only support new starters but are also responsible for producing external materials and guidance for our customers."
Resources
Learn more about Ecclesiastical Risk Management - Risk Management | Ecclesiastical
Preferred Risk Management Suppliers - https://www.ecclesiastical.com/risk-management/preferred-suppliers/
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
About the Guest
Jo Whyman is the Risk Management Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance. He has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services and risk management sectors, having previously worked at Zurich for 25 years in various roles.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC shall not be liable, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.54
Description:
The voluntary sector is under a lot of pressure. Over the past year it has seen a decline in donations and volunteers, while simultaneously the demand for the services has skyrocketed. Charities themselves are concerned about their own financial stability in light of the energy and cost of living crisis, let alone supporting their beneficiaries. The Benefact Trust provides substantial financial support to charities every year, funded by the profits of the companies within the Benefact Group.
In this episode, we discuss how Benefact Trust’s vital support is assisting many of the country’s charities, and how its relationship with the companies of the Benefact Group instils a positive work culture in their employees. Organisations in need of help can apply for funding by clicking the link to the Benefact Trust website below.
Quote:
“As we [The Benefact Trust] grew out of Ecclesiastical Insurance, our focus is supporting all churches of all denominations, and Christian charities. But our beneficiaries can be of any faith or have no faith at all, and our grants tackle key social issues such as homelessness, poverty, mental health, addiction, climate change, and cultural cohesion. So, we have a really wide remit. And I would encourage listeners, if you're involved with any charities or a trustee of a charity, please go on our website, talk to one of our grants' officers, we’re really happy to talk to you about the grant giving.”
Resources:
Benefact Trust: https://benefacttrust.co.uk/
Benefact Trust – How to Apply: https://benefacttrust.co.uk/how-to-apply/
Fundraising in the cost-of-living crisis: Fundraising in the cost-of-living crisis - Benefact Group
Lesley King-Lewis’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-king-lewis-04072164/
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
About the Guest:
Lesley King-Lewis is the Director of Benefact Trust. Previously All Churches Trust, Benefact Trust was established in 1972, and is the owner of the Benefact Group, from which it receives all its profits to fund grant making. This enables the trust to give away approximately £19-20 million per year.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.45 mins
Description:
Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) provides a framework to manage key strategic risks across an organisation, to support it in achieving its objectives. Ecclesiastical offers a range of solutions in this area, all of which endeavour to assess and address risks confidently. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of ERM for clients and brokers.
Quote:
“The risk landscape is changing all the time. And having an ERM approach can just help organisations understand the environment that they’re working within, and to navigate through this complexity in a structured way, by understanding the risks, prioritising them, and putting in place mitigation plans, so they can manage them to acceptable levels of risk in line with their risk appetite.”
Resources:
Take a look at our Enterprise Risk Management Hub
Sarah Pearson’s LinkedIn Profile
Chris Withers’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Sarah Pearson, Head of Enterprise Risk Management has 24 years’ experience of working in the public sector (in a variety of senior corporate roles with a risk focus) and 10 years’ experience within the insurance industry in Enterprise Risk Management positions (Consultant, Advisor, Business Partner and Practice Leader). Recently appointed IRM Board Director and Women in Insurance Award Finalist (Risk Professional of the Year) in 2021.
About the Host:
Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing Ecclesiastical’s proposition for its broker partners, leading the sales team and for building even stronger relationships with brokers. Having joined the company in 2015 Chris has over 25 years’ of wide-ranging insurance industry experience, having worked at Covea and RSA prior to joining Ecclesiastical.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC shall not be liable, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.57
Description:
Ecclesiastical’s latest Heritage Risk Barometer has recently been released. Compiled following 500 interviews with heritage leaders across the sector, the report offers an insightful lens into the key concerns and issues facing heritage organisations and provides suggested routes to managing the risks. These include the alarming economic consequences of the cost-of-living crisis, increasing inflation and the rising cost of building materials, alongside difficulties surrounding staff and volunteer recruitment and retention, sustainability and crime.
Throughout the episode, we discuss the report’s key findings, and the profound importance of listening to customer needs when considering proposition development, which can facilitate improvements to broker services. The Heritage Risk Barometer is listed in the resources below.
Quote:
“What the barometer is doing is giving the sector a voice. It is raising these issues, and it's helping our audience, brokers in particular, to have a different type of conversation with their clients or their prospects, understanding their needs, and the issues that surround their environment in a bit more detail.”
Resources:
Ecclesiastical’s 2022 Heritage Risk Barometer –Heritage Risk Barometer | Insights (ecclesiastical.com)
Ecclesiastical’s 2020 Heritage Risk Barometer – Heritage Risk Barometer | Insights | Ecclesiastical
The Ecclesiastical Heritage Index – The Ecclesiastical Heritage Index
Enterprise Risk Management – Enterprise Risk Management | Ecclesiastical
Faith Kitchen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-kitchen-7b8a076/
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
About the Guest
Faith Kitchen, Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing and maintaining our products and propositions to meet the needs of our specialist target markets. She maintains relationships with a number of key bodies in the heritage, charity and education sector, to ensure we fully understand what is important to customers and can develop useful insight and thought leadership. Faith is a member of the Underwriting Leadership Team.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 11.58
Description:
The idea for a series of conversational podcasts covering a wide array of insurance-related topics came about last year. We’re thrilled with the response to Covered in 15 thus far since launching the podcast in 2022, with over 1000 downloads and consistently strong reviews and streams for each episode. It has offered a way for us at Ecclesiastical to connect with like-minded professionals and potential customers in a manner that, we hope, is both engaging and informative.
In this conversation, the hosts of Covered in 15 discuss the challenges of starting and running a podcast, from finding new guests to locating interesting topics, and what they’ve enjoyed about the guests and topics throughout 2022. This namely includes listening to our passionate third-party guests and colleagues’ insightful expertise and knowledge about various topics, both niche and broad.
Quote:
“It's been great producing the podcasts; we've chosen topics brokers said they wanted to hear more about, and we'd love to hear thoughts on future topics”.
Resources:
Tony Fletcher’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-fletcher-b549a36a/
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
Sarah Willoughby’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-willoughby-35b89821/
Chris Withers’ LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-withers-ab77761b
About the Hosts:
Tony Fletcher, Corporate Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for leading the schemes division which has been writing business on a delegated authority basis for over 25 years. Tony’s career has focussed on business development and underwriting. He is a member of the Cambridge Insurance Institute and is a past president, having held the position in 2006/07.
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Business Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high-net-worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was Deputy Managing Director and over the years has been involved in all aspects of the business bringing a wealth of high-net-worth expertise and knowledge.
Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing Ecclesiastical’s proposition for its broker partners, leading the sales team and for building even stronger relationships with brokers. Having joined the company in 2015 Chris has over 25 years’ of wide-ranging insurance industry experience, having worked at Covea and RSA prior to joining Ecclesiastical.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.31
Description
Insurers are increasingly interested in MGAs due to their extensive expertise, distribution means, and capability. MGAs have also the agility to navigate a broad range of niche areas. In this episode, we discuss the headwinds currently facing the MGA market, and how insurers may benefit from increased collaboration with this highly experienced community of professionals.
Quote
“All good MGAs recognise that the reason that balance sheet has been shared and the partnership is there is because the MGA’s team are experts in what they do. And frankly, why would [an insurer] want to build something themselves, if they’ve got complete confidence in deploying capital to a team who can demonstrate through data, expertise, experience and distribution, and deliver underwriting profits that way?”
Resources
The Managing General Agents’ Association: https://www.mgaa.co.uk/
Mike Keating’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-keating-230b8424/
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
About the Guest
Mike Keating is the CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA). He has worked for insurers, brokers, and MGAs during his 35 years’ experience in the industry, and has previously held executive positions at AXA, UK General and Qlaims.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC and The Managing General Agents’ Association shall not be liable, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and The Managing General Agents’ Association has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.59
Description:
The recorded levels of crime in England and Wales in the year ending June 2022 exceed pre-pandemic levels, with 6.5 million crimes occurring during this period, at a rate 7% higher than in the year ending March 2020. It’s undeniable that the occurrence of crime is rising across the country, and with the police service under enormous strain due to resourcing struggles and economic pressures, the onus is on individuals perhaps more so than ever to take care of their personal security.
In this episode, we discuss various methods you can implement today to improve the safety and security of your home. This ranges from ways of assessing potential dangers, to the increased vigilance you should take with regard to the information you share on social media pertaining to your property.
Quote:
“It'd be fair to say that crime is going up as per official government statistics, accepting the changes in how they're recorded. If you look at all the crimes [committed] since June 2021, the recorded crime has increased by 12%”
Resources:
Personal Property Protection - Target Identified Personal Property Protection | Art & Private Client | Risk Management (ecclesiastical.com)
Blackstone Consultancy - https://blackstoneconsultancy.com/
Neil Evans‘ LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-evans-csyp-msc-msyl-a6765797/
Sarah Willoughby’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-willoughby-35b89821/
About the Guest:
Neil Evans is the Director of Protective Services at Blackstone Consultancy. Prior to this, he was in the Royal Navy, and subsequently worked for 25 years in the Metropolitan Police, where he led the armed residential policing operation for the royal palaces.
About the Host:
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Business Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high-net-worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was Deputy Managing Director and over the years has been involved in all aspects of the business bringing a wealth of high-net-worth expertise and knowledge.
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Blackstone Consultancy, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Blackstone Consultancy have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.36
Description:
We are proud to be part of the Benefact Group – a charity owned, international family of financial services companies that gives all available profits to charity and good causes. We’re built on the idea that better business can better lives. We’re not driven by making a profit, but by how much we can give away to good causes making us a different type of insurer. In this episode, we discuss the recent achievements of the Group, and our future aspirations, namely, to give £250 million to charity by 2025, and to become the largest charity donor in the UK.
Quote:
“There's so many insurers, despite whatever they say, where the important thing for them is to make a profit and they're incentivised to pay the least amount possible to a customer. When you're owned by a charity, you take a completely different approach.”
Resources:
Ecclesiastical – most trusted insurer for 15th time
The Benefact Group – Movement For Good
The Benefact Group – Giving Map
Mark Hews’ LinkedIn Profile
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile
About the Guest:
Mark Hews is Group CEO for the Benefact Group, the parent company of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Comprised of 30 brands across three different divisions, Benefact aims to be ‘a different kind of business’, prioritising philanthropic donations over the acquisition of higher profits.
About the Host:
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.58
Description:
The UK, and indeed much of the world, is currently facing an unprecedented breadth of crises, many of them economic. As such, it’s easy to lose sight of some of the other urgent issues facing our country and planet, of which climate change is perhaps the most significant. Earlier this year, Ecclesiastical conducted a broker survey which revealed that many of them were unsure about the practical steps they could implement towards their companies becoming ‘Net Zero’.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of carbon literacy, the steps already taken by the insurance sector with regard to achieving neutrality targets, and what brokers can practically do to support the transition to Net Zero for clients and within their own organisations.
Quote:
“Climate change presents such huge challenges for insurers, [so] it's really important to stress that, in future, they're going to be directly exposed to climate damages through their insurance commitments. Increasingly, we're seeing a shift towards conscious consumerism and investor pressure. Customers and investors are starting to think more carefully about who they are investing in, and customers are thinking more about the products that they want to buy. And employees are increasingly thinking about the type of companies that they want to work with.”
Resources:
Eunomia Research & Consulting - https://www.eunomia.co.uk/
The UK SME Climate Pledge - https://smeclimatehub.org/the-climate-pledge/
Eunomia webinar recording: Become carbon literate to achieve Net Zero
Alex Forrest’s LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-forrest-7280a843/
Chris Withers’ LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-withers-ab77761b
About the Guest:
Alex Forrest is a Managing Consultant at Eunomia, an independent environmental consultancy, where he specialises in decarbonisation strategies for private sector clients.
About the Host:
Chris Withers is the Broker Distribution Director for Ecclesiastical Insurance, and has over 25 years of experience in the industry. He previously worked for Covea and RSA.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Eunomia Consultancy, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Eunomia Consultancy have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 11.19 mins
Description
The modern collector is changing. The items that we invest in are changing. The way in which we show the world what we own, is changing. From Hermès handbags to sealed unused Super Mario games and fake “day bags” to Instagram trainer collections. In this episode we talk to Alistair Meiklejon about his experience as a senior valuer in the world of modern collections.
Quote
“I think the most interesting part of the Hermès phenomenon is that people buy a Hermès bag, and within walking out of the shop, it's has pretty much doubled in value because you cannot buy them.”
Resources:
Sarah Willoughby’s LinkedIn profile
About the Guest
Alistair Meiklejon is Senior Valuer for Doerr Dallas Valuations and has been involved in the antiques industry for over 20 years as an auctioneer and valuer. Alastair has a particularly broad knowledge with interests and passions to include the following specialities; militaria, watches, automobilia, rock and pop, posters, comic books, and musical instruments. He is also an experienced general valuer in furniture, works of art, ceramics, silverware and general contents. Together with an expertise of fashion including handbags, luggage and high end clothing.
About the Host
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Business Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high net worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was Deputy Managing Director and over the years has been involved in all aspects of the business bringing a wealth of high net worth expertise and knowledge.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Doerr Dallas Valuations, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Doerr Dallas Valuations have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.25
Description
Brokers are currently facing a hard insurance market, and have been for a while. This hardening is compounded by the impacts of inflation, as a result brokers are seeing diminishing access to insurers on a risk-by-risk basis. The hard market is once-in-a-generation and many people working in insurance now are in unchartered territory. In this episode with Steve White from BIBA, we discuss the various issues brokers are facing and ways in which insurers can help, from improving communication to a more consistent deliverance of service.
Quote
“I think insurance could be better at communicating a whole range of issues around service. Brokers do have a real issue now with insurer service, we've [BIBA] been hearing it through our advisory board structure for the last 12 months. A cynic could say that brokers are always been unhappy with insurance service, [but] we've never heard the volume and noise about the subject that we've been hearing over the last 12 months.”
Resources
The British Insurance Brokers' Association: BIBA Homepage - British Insurance Brokers' Association
Sign up to BIBA’s Insurer Service Survey: https://www.gracechurchconsulting.co.uk/ukim-sign-up
Steve White’s LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/steve-white-437107a
Adrian Saunders’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianksaunders/
About the Guest
Steve White is the CEO of the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), with an extensive career in the insurance industry. He previously worked at Orion Insurance Company and the Financial Services Authority, before initially joining BIBA as Head of Compliance and Training.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC and The British Insurance Brokers' Association shall not be liable, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and The British Insurance Brokers' Association has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14:50
Description:
Cybercrime can affect everyone and anyone and it is on the increase. Do you think before you click? What are the most common cyber scams affecting individuals and companies today? Where do they come from and how can we identify them?
UK Finance reports that £1.3 billion was lost due to online fraud and cyberattacks in 2021, highlighting that we should all aim to be more vigilant than ever when receiving texts and emails requesting personal information, or before clicking on any unfamiliar links. In this episode, we discuss the rising prominence of digital scams, and how we can better protect ourselves against such threats by learning to identify them.
Quote:
“These scams affect people across society, extorting corporates, targeting small start-ups, families, individuals – literally everyone across society is potentially a target and a victim of these crimes. Some are targeted directly at you. Others are more widely circulated in the knowledge that unfortunately, a percentage of people will bite, will click on the link or transfer the money.”
Resources:
Action Fraud - https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Blackstone Consultancy - https://blackstoneconsultancy.com/
Tom Tahany’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-t-4b5181b2/
Sarah Willoughby’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-willoughby-35b89821/
References:
Cross-sector action needed as criminal gangs steal more than £1.3 billion - https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/news-and-insight/press-release/cross-sector-action-needed-criminal-gangs-steal-billions
About the Guest:
Tom Tahany is an Operations Manager at Blackstone Consultancy, a firm which provides security intelligence and investigative advice to clients across a range of topics, including cyber security.
About the Host:
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Business Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high net worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was Deputy Managing Director and over the years has been involved in all aspects of the business bringing a wealth of high net worth expertise and knowledge.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Blackstone Consultancy, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Blackstone Consultancy have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 10.37 mins
Description
As Claims Director at Ecclesiastical, Jeremy Trott is particularly well-placed to comment on the rising phenomenon of claims inflation. In conversation with Adrian Saunders, he discusses how claims inflation can be defined, and its potential global and local causes. He explores the potential dangers of relying on indices when tracking claims inflation, and emphasises the importance of brokers offering advice to their clients during this period which is particularly fraught with risks of underinsurance and indemnity periods.
Quote
“Claims inflation is the increased pressure over and above the normal inflation that drives up costs in terms of the settlement of claims. Traditionally, inflation has been pretty low; the Bank of England targets 2%, and it’s kind of been somewhere between 1 and 3%. Global factors and some local factors have been really influencing that, and we expect costs are now somewhere between 7 and 15%. That’s generally on the property inflation, and then casualty inflation, often can be linked back to things like how earnings are driving through, and potentially care costs as well.”
Resources
- Risk Management guidance
- The Ecclesiastical Heritage Index
- The rising cost of construction: making your clients aware of the impact on their insurance
- Jeremy Trott’s LinkedIn Profile
- Adrian Saunders‘ LinkedIn Profile
References
Bank of England Monetary report
About the Guest
Jeremy Trott, Claims Director at Ecclesiastical has worked in insurance for over 25 years – holding various roles across underwriting, sales, innovation and claims. Starting as an underwriter at Commercial Union, Jeremy progressed through a variety of underwriting and account management roles before taking over running the Aviva sales and underwriting team in Maidstone in 2003.
He moved across to Allianz in 2006 to run both the local Sales and underwriting and Small business team before on the role in Innovation and Strategy in 2009. He did this for 3 years before becoming Claims Operations manager. After 8 years in this role and nearly 15 years at Allianz, he recently joined Ecclesiastical as Claims Director.
Jeremy is heavily involved at the CII – having sat on the Claims Faculty for 6 years before taking on the Chair in 2017. In 2019, as the faculty moved into the Society of Claims Professionals, he became its first Non-Executive Director.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.04 mins
Description
Our latest Education Risk Barometer research gives us critical insight into the ever-changing world of schools. The political and financial landscape is changing, parents are demanding more, workload is increasing and the challenge of net zero is looming. Listen to understand the top concerns in the education sector and what Ecclesiastical can do to help.
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“One of my biggest takeaways was there are so many risks out there at the moment and so many different things that schools are struggling with that actually, to have a really embedded and strong focus on risk, and in particular, strategic risk management will be so important for schools going forwards.”
Resources
Sign up to the Hub for Education
Take a look at our latest Education Risk Barometer
Faith Kitchen’s LinkedIn profile
Tony Fletcher’s LinkedIn profile
About the Guest
Faith Kitchen is Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical. Faith is responsible for developing and maintaining our products and propositions to meet the needs of our specialist target markets. She maintains relationships with a number of key bodies in the heritage, charity and education sector, to ensure we fully understand what is important to customers and can develop useful insight and thought leadership. Faith is a member of the Underwriting Leadership Team.
In her spare time she serves as a Charity Trustee and a School Governor.
About the Host
Tony Fletcher, Corporate Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for leading the schemes division which has been writing business on a delegated authority basis for over 25 years. Tony’s career has focussed on business development and underwriting. He is a member of the Cambridge Insurance Institute and is a past president, having held the position in 2006/07.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.43
Description
The FCA is introducing a Consumer Duty to ensure that firms always foreground their customers’ needs, by equipping them with adequate information to make informed and effective decisions, and providing support throughout their relationship. By the end of July 2023, brokers will need to be operating in compliance with these new rules. In this episode, we discuss in detail the new requirements which the Duty will implement for brokers, and how you can begin to prepare for that transition now.
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“The FCA wants to set a higher expectation for the standard of care that firms provide to consumers. For many firms, this will require a significant shift in both culture and behaviour so that they consistently focus on consumer outcomes and put customers in a position where they make effective decisions… The aim of the consumer duty is to ensure a higher a more consistent standard of protection for consumers and to prevent harm before it occurs.”
Resources:
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RWA compliance and regulation T&C Training and competency | Broker training | Ecclesiastical
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Fair Value webinar - FCA Fair value policy statement | Brokers | Ecclesiastical
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The FCA’s Consumer Duty will lead to a major shift in financial services - https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-consumer-duty-major-shift-financial-services
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RWA Launches Consumer Duty Gap Analysis – https://insight.rwabusiness.com/blog/posts/2022/july/rwa-launches-consumer-duty-gap-analysis/
Kirk Ford’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwakirkford/
Steve Walton’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwa-steve-walton/
Chris Withers’ LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-withers-ab77761b
About the Guests
Kirk Ford is the Deputy Head of Compliance at RWA Consultancy, where he has worked for the past seven years supporting brokers with their compliance regulatory needs. Previously, he worked in retail banking and general insurance sectors.
Steve Walton is the Head of Compliance at RWA Consultancy, where he has worked for the past five years. In this position, he leads the Regional Business Management team, which is focused on customer and broker support.
About the Host
Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing Ecclesiastical’s proposition for its broker partners, leading the sales team and for building even stronger relationships with brokers. Having joined the company in 2015 Chris has over 25 years’ of wide-ranging insurance industry experience, having worked at Covea and RSA prior to joining Ecclesiastical.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC shall not be liable, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law. In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.59 mins
Description
How has the art market responded to the economic turbulence caused by COVID and Brexit? How is the UK’s position as a leader in the art market shifting? What types of art are selling at high value, and how are they being sold?
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“This time with the undercurrent of everything that's going on in Russia and Ukraine, it would suggest that actually, auction sales are not being as impacted as perhaps we might have thought. But obviously, it's very early, you know that the market is incredibly fickle. And I think what we have seen is this great level of art still coming to market”
Resources
Get the expert global perspective with Dr. James Lindow's Art Market Review: Art Market Review (ecclesiastical.com)
Dr James Lindow’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-lindow-1aa2a814/
Sarah Willoughby’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-willoughby-35b89821/
About the Guest
Dr James Lindow is the Underwriting Director for Art and Private Clients at Ecclesiastical. He has 25 years of high net worth and fine art experience. He also works commercially at Ecclesiastical, assisting senior management with commercial fine art risks. He has a PhD in the History of Art and is the author of The Renaissance Palace in Florence: Magnificence and Splendour in Fifteenth-Century Italy.
About the Host
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Business Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high net worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was Deputy Managing Director and over the years has been involved in all aspects of the business bringing a wealth of high net worth expertise and knowledge.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In using the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical has no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 15.02 mins
Description
What are the six stages of the POLICY sales framework? How can a sales model boost your client conversion and retention? Why is it important to evaluate your sales performance? The discussion in part 2 looks as the POLICY framework and how it can increase conversion, retention and confidence.
The main challenges Chris Davies hears about from brokers as an insurance consultant are increasing conversion with clients, increasing retention, building confidence, and asking better questions. In this conversation, Chris explains how each of these is facilitated by the POLICY sales framework, which consists of six stages (Preparation; Opening; Learn; Involve; Close; You). Having such a model to fall back on when a conversation doesn’t go to plan (as is very often the case) can be highly effective. Unlike most sales framework, POLICY is not a list, but a circle.
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“When you first use a model, it feels clunky, it feels alien, it feels a bit robotic. The more you do it, the more a natural flow comes from it. The nice thing about having a framework is, a client that asks questions is going to take you off-piste, but at least you’ve got somewhere to go back to. At least you know where you were.”
Resources
- Chris Davies’ LinkedIn Profile
- See our webinar with Chris Davies at Bullpen Consultancy Best Investment to Grow Your Business | Broker training | Ecclesiastical
About the Guest
Chris Davies is a highly experienced consultant and advisor in the insurance industry, who, during the pandemic, founded Bullpen Consultancy Ltd. Bullpen provides training and coaching for various professions within the specialist insurance sector, endeavouring to help companies grow by helping their people grow. Ecclesiastical has used Bullpen’s services in a coaching webinar delivered to our brokers earlier this year.
About the Host
Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing Ecclesiastical’s proposition for its broker partners, leading the sales team and for building even stronger relationships with brokers. Having joined the company in 2015 Chris has over 25 years’ of wide-ranging insurance industry experience, having worked at Covea and RSA prior to joining Ecclesiastical.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Bullpen Consultancy, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Bullpen Consultancy have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 6.36 mins
Description
In part one of our discussion we look at why a sales process is important to provide clients with better outcomes.
When Ecclesiastical interviews candidates for sales roles, we ask: what is your sales process? Often, the response is around an unspecified relationship-building strategy. Chris Davies of Bullpen Consulting has conceptualised a bespoke sales process model whose stages ensure not only that you as a broker are doing the best you can do, but also that the prospective client is receiving the best experience. In this episode, Chris explains how this process is multifaceted and thus multi-beneficial; it is transactional, but also assists in building and sustaining relationships. The notion of a sales model is by no means unique, but Chris’ POLICY model is specifically tailored to the insurance industry. In our next discussion, we’ll explore each of the stages denoted by this acronym.
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“A greater understanding of the sales process can boost your confidence in conversations with clients and ultimately procure success both for the broker, and also for the client. It affords a backbone, a guide, something to fall back on when things don’t go to plan, and it helps ensure that the customer gets the most out of this conversation, which is surely the most important thing.”
Resources
- Chris Davies’ LinkedIn Profile
- See our webinar with Chris Davies at Bullpen Consultancy Best Investment to Grow Your Business | Broker training | Ecclesiastical
About the Guest
Chris Davies is a highly experienced consultant and advisor in the insurance industry, who, during the pandemic, founded Bullpen Consultancy Ltd. Bullpen provides training and coaching for various professions within the specialist insurance sector, endeavouring to help companies grow by helping their people grow. Ecclesiastical has used Bullpen’s services in a coaching webinar delivered to our brokers earlier this year.
About the Host
Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing Ecclesiastical’s proposition for its broker partners, leading the sales team and for building even stronger relationships with brokers. Having joined the company in 2015 Chris has over 25 years’ of wide-ranging insurance industry experience, having worked at Covea and RSA prior to joining Ecclesiastical.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Bullpen Consultancy, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Bullpen Consultancy have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.02 mins
Description
Are you frustrated with the service from insurers? How quickly do your quote submissions come back? What areas of the process do you find most frustrating?
In this conversation with Juan de Castro from Cytora, we discuss the most common frustrations for brokers and their insurer partners. It’s no secret that the inefficiencies around data collection between clients, broker and insurers, is fraught with friction. In this episode we look at why this friction occurs and what is being done to create a more seamless approach to speed up insurer response times and support the broker with managing their submissions in a systematic way regardless of insurer partner.
Quote
“Brokers cannot accommodate all the information that all insurers might want, because every insurer will want a slightly different set of data points about the risk. If you look at what underwriters do, they would receive the submission from the broker, and then they will do a number of online searches to gather all the information required for underwriting. And that just takes time, and that's the reason why there's that black hole of days and days and backlog to get back to the broker. So I think the question here is, how can you streamline that process in a way that quickly, insurers can automatically pull that information about the risk, and be able to either decline or produce a quote, as quick as possible?”
About the Guest
Juan de Castro is CCO/COO at Cytora, leading product strategy, sales, distribution, partnerships and operations and has twenty years’ experience in strategy, operations, corporate development and sales. Previously UK COO at Hiscox, Juan holds a Master’s degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Computer Engineering degree from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Cytora, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Cytora have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 05.08 mins
Description
What’s important to you as broker? What topics would you like more insight on?
Welcome to ‘Covered in 15’! This is a an introduction from our hosts about what insurance brokers, of all shapes and sizes, can expect from the podcast series
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“We've deliberately focused the podcasts on things that brokers have told us are important to them. We also want to react to what they tell us. So we want to listen to their feedback, and develop topics that they say are going to be important and relevant to them.”
About the Hosts
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for developing Ecclesiastical’s proposition for its broker partners, leading the sales team and for building even stronger relationships with brokers. Having joined the company in 2015 Chris has over 25 years’ of wide-ranging insurance industry experience, having worked at Covea and RSA prior to joining Ecclesiastical.
Tony Fletcher, Corporate Director at Ecclesiastical, is responsible for leading the schemes division which has been writing business on a delegated authority basis for over 25 years. Tony’s career has focussed on business development and underwriting. He is a member of the Cambridge Insurance Institute and is a past president, having held the position in 2006/07.
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Development Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 26 years’ experience in the high net worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was involved in all aspects of the business. She started as an underwriter at Cox before joining Oak in 2000 where she held positions as a Senior Underwriter and Associate Director of Operations before moving to the role of Deputy Managing Director and Head of Operations.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”), shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 12.32 mins
Description
Do you know the difference in value between synthetic and natural diamonds? Does your client have fresh water or saltwater pearls and how does this affect their value? Do you know how the last 12 months has affected the value of gold?
In this episode we discuss with Samantha Dunn-Davies from Gurr Johns what she’s been seeing in the market, from the crazy inflation of a Rainbow Daytona to the effects of pearl farms in China, and how, even as we emerge from the COVID pandemic, the recent unrest in the world is still causing gold prices to rise. Across the market, inflation on high value brands is astronomical.
Quote
“There was a Rainbow Daytona that came out in about 2019 or there abouts, which was sold for £35,000 retail, and now I looked at the prices today. They're asking on the various watch sites between £500,000 and £700,000. That's a good price, isn't it?”
“Have it insured, have it listed and make sure you have the paperwork recorded – valuation, receipt and photographs.”
About the Guest
Samantha Dunn-Davies is General Valuer and Jewellery and Watches Specialist at Gurr Johns. She has over twenty years’ auction house and art industry experience, is a qualified diamond grader and a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. She is also a member of RICS and served on their Arts and Antiques Faculty Board from 2003 until 2011.
About the Host
Sarah Willoughby, Art & Private Client Development Director at Ecclesiastical, leads the Art & Private Clients team and brings over 28 years’ experience in the high net worth sector. Sarah joined Ecclesiastical in 2016 after 16 years with Oak Underwriting where she was involved in all aspects of the business. She started as an underwriter at Cox before joining Oak in 2000 where she held positions as a Senior Underwriter and Associate Director of Operations before moving to the role of Deputy Managing Director and Head of Operations.
Disclaimer
This guidance is provided for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances.
Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its group companies (“Ecclesiastical”) and Gurr Johns, shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you or any third party suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on or action taken (or not taken) by any other party, caused by that or any other person’s use of or reliance on the information provided in this guidance, except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
In viewing the guidance, you acknowledge that over time the information provided may become out of date and may not constitute best market practice, that it is subject to change and new editions may be issued to incorporate such changes and that Ecclesiastical and Gurr Johns have no duty to provide such changes.
Run time: 14.43 mins
Description
Why is stress in the insurance industry a leading cause of mental and physical ill health? Mental Health – is this a tick box exercise or an on ongoing programme?
Claire Russell gives us an insight into her experience of mental health in the workplace and how this led her to set up Mental Health in Business (MHIB). We discuss how the pandemic has inflated what was already considered one of the biggest public health concerns of our times and how businesses are now recognising the impact metal health has on employee reliability, productivity and retainability and how important supporting mental health in the workplace is.
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“Certainly, the research, the studies that have been carried out during COVID looking at mental health all indicate that more people than ever before are experiencing symptoms of mental health. So there's a big problem”
I would urge any organisational leader to just think really carefully about what you are investing in and why. Do it for the right reasons and make sure what you are doing is meaningful.”
Resources
2017 – Independent Review Workplace Mental Health
Broker mental health webinars bought to you by Ecclesiastical in association with Mental Health in Business.
About the Guest
Claire Russell, CEO, Mental Health in Business, has worked as a business leader in the insurance industry for over 20 years before moving in to workplace mental health following her own lived experience of mental illness.
About the Host
Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director at Ecclesiastical is responsible for delivering Ecclesiastical’s UK intermediated business. Before joining Ecclesiastical, Adrian held senior roles at Marsh, Zurich and Hiscox. Away from insurance, Adrian is a self-confessed cycling addict. Combining his passions for charity giving and cycling, he previously raised funds for charity by completing London Ride100 three times and cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia.
Disclaimer
Our intention with this content is to offer insight and support on topics that our research has identified as areas of concern for our brokers. It’s important to note we’re not medical professionals and if you feel that you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek professional help. The Samaritans can be contacted free of charge on 116 123.
The guidance provided is for information purposes and is general and educational in nature and does not constitute mental health advice. You are free to choose whether or not to use it and it should not be considered a substitute for seeking professional help in specific circumstances. Accordingly, Ecclesiastical and its subsidiaries shall not be liable for any losses, damages, charges or expenses, whether direct, indirect, or consequential and howsoever arising, that you suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use or reliance on the information provided in this video except for those which cannot be excluded by law.
We acknowledge that an individual's experience with mental health issues or concerns is unique to that individual. If you have any questions personally or in connection with co-workers, family or friends, we encourage you to contact your General Practitioner or your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if you have one as part of your benefits plan. Where links are provided to other sites and resources of third parties, these links are provided for your information only. Ecclesiastical is not responsible for the contents of those sites or resources.