How did you begin your career in insurance?
I joined the insurance market 25 years ago in January 2001. Having gone to university to study Building Surveying, I decided a career in construction wasn’t for me. A friend at Hiscox mentioned a short-term role in their outwards reinsurance team, and that opportunity led me into the world of insurance.
By July 2001, I was working as an Underwriting Assistant in the Aviation team at Hill 800 (now Brit), in their Lloyd’s box on Gallery One. On my first day, I sat next to Dan Warburg, who is now Head of Reinsurance, London, at IQUW. When I started at IQUW in January 2024, it felt like a full-circle moment; and 25 years on I’m still only a few desks away from Dan. One of the things I love about insurance is the different people you meet throughout your career – if you work hard and act with integrity, those relationships last.
What do you like most about the Energy Class of Business and your role in general?
For me, a large part of why I enjoy my job so much lies in the Energy class of business, and the people I get to work with every day.
Energy sits at the heart of geopolitics, economics and society, and aligns with my favourite subjects since school days – geography, politics, history and maths. With the current global geopolitical and macro-economic climate continually changing, underwriting Energy demands curiosity, adaptability and a willingness to embrace change and reconsider how you view risk.
What makes Energy so compelling is its impact on everyday life. You need to understand not only the assets, but also the world around you – the people, politics and the pressures. That’s what keeps the job stimulating.
What attracted you to IQUW?
When I first walked into the IQUW office, I was drawn towards its start-up feel and it reminded me of my early career in the insurance market. Everyone was on one floor, and you could see the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Actuary and Active Underwriter, just by looking left or right. This type of visibility is very energising and breeds connectivity within an organisation.
The people at IQUW were also a huge draw. I’ve known David Message, Phil Furlong, and several other colleagues for years, as well as former colleagues like Greg Lochhead who is heading up our broker development initiatives. Joining IQUW meant the chance to learn from them and work alongside some of the best talent in the market.
What differentiates IQUW’s approach?
Three things: service, flexibility and clarity of appetite. Brokers know what we want to write, how we want to write it and that they’ll receive excellent service.
The strength of IQUW’s people is also a differentiator and IQUW’s underwriting expertise within Energy has been evidenced by our growth. Colleagues including Steven Tebbutt, Active Underwriter, and David Message, Lead Energy Underwriter, have taken IQUW’s Energy book from a standing start to a respected follow market, to now cementing a position as a lead market. This has all been achieved with a small team, which is quite remarkable.
Tell us about the Energy team
A year ago, we were a team of four. Today, we are a team of seven, led by David Message, with Christopher Jones and me as Senior Underwriters, Teniola Tijani as Underwriter, Darryl Krobel, as our first in-house Engineer, and two talented Assistant Underwriters (AUs).
The team’s growth has helped us provide a better service to brokers and clients but seeing the development of the two AUs has been really rewarding. We emphasise the importance of active problem-solving and building strong relationships around the business. Rather than sending an email and waiting for a response, their first instinct is now to be proactive and go and speak to the person directly to find out the answer in a short conversation. Seeing them embrace this mindset has been fantastic.
What trends are shaping the Energy market right now?
Energy has seen good results for several years. We still have an abundance of capacity in the market which gives clients more choice and has led to the soft market cycle we are now navigating.
Competition in London is also intensifying, driven in part by the movement of broking and underwriting teams across the market. The battle for talent in the industry is a major talking point, and Energy is no exception.
What are your priorities in your role and what excites you most about the future?
I am interested in people and real-life stories. I am a big fan of Desert Island Discs and an episode with tennis player and campaigner; Billie Jean King really resonated with me. Three principles she shared have become my own: relationships are everything; keep learning and learn how to learn; and be a problem solver and an innovator. They have been my guiding principles throughout my career.
My focus now is to use the relationships I have built over 25 years in the industry to create a long-term, stable and profitable portfolio. At the same time, I want to keep evolving and finding new ways to remain relevant to broking partners and maintain the high service levels we’re know for – and recently endorsed through being awarded the coveted Gracechurch Service Quality Marque for London Market Underwriting for the second consecutive year.
