11th April 2024

40th Anniversary of ManningUK

40th Anniversary of ManningUK!

Where has the time gone and what has changed and what has stayed the same?

 In 1984 women insurance brokers were virtually non existent and viewed by insurers and brokers alike with suspicion and a wary caution.  In fact a number of insurance companies refused to grant me an agency just because I was a woman.

 I have had some very lucky breaks during that time but I have always found that my original ethos of being open, honest and genuine, is as true today as it was then. I am honoured to say some of my original clients both in the commercial and household/motor divisions have been with me since the start.

 When I started computers were really science fiction, facsimile machines, mobile telephones and emails in the embryo stage. Has technology improved the insurance  industry, yes in some ways but not in others. Insurance “deals” were carried out face to face usually over a long liquid lunch and a handshake was a bond. Not today sadly we are in a “cover your back” era.

 I agree emails and computers have in some respects increased work flow but really do we need to email the colleague that sits across the desk? Our industry was built on relationships,  knowing your underwriter and knowing who to ask or where to go with a complex risk. Insurers are now, in most instances, faceless organisations and they hide behind quote screens and chat lines. 

 Working from home was necessary during the covid epidemic but not now. In my opinion working from home is also detrimental to young peoples mental health as well as growth. Young people learn from listening, watching and being guided not sitting at home alone unsupervised and at times lonely with no human interaction.

 Zoom and Teams are wonderful inventions saving hours in traffic queues but oh why is there no training given before using it. Recently during two such meetings the proceedings were interrupted by an Amazon delivery and another with one of the participants answering his mobile and picking his nose. Please please let’s get our industry back to the profession and respect it once had.

 So as I begin this day which I hope will be full of fun and joy please can our industry reflect on where we are and remember that we are in a service industry. Something, in my view that no longer exists from insurers and also remember it is the client that pays our salaries and they deserve better.

 Finally a huge thank you to all the clients that supported me over the years and still do. A huge thank you to my current staff,  also the staff that joined, stayed a while, retired or moved on. I hope in some small way your time with ManningUK has stood you in good stead and enhanced your career. And finally to the underwriters who have worked with me to make ManningUK the success it is today - thank you!