- How long have you been in insurance?
Since 1997. I started at Sun Alliance working in a household insurance admin team… the glamour!
- What’s your background?
I have had a few different roles in insurance, including a 10-year stint broking. Six years of that was as an account executive directly advising clients. This wasn’t technology-specific, it was for a regional insurance broker, so prior to joining Hiscox I was a real generalist, I’d advise on any form of commercial insurance.
- Define your responsibilities in the technology team.
The same as the rest of the team – finding ways to say ‘yes’ more, expanding the appetite, developing our product suite, visiting clients with our broker partners, handling complex cases (either new business or ones we hold), taking referrals from other underwriters, and providing training to our brokers.
- What are the big issues in the technology sector?
Change in privacy law is the current hot topic and data processors have an increased burden under GDPR. I think we are at an interesting point in time in that technology is advancing quickly, it’s improving people’s lives and creating efficiency in business. But is there a cost to this around lack of privacy and if there is, should we be concerned, or does it become the new norm that we need to get comfortable with?
- How can your team and Hiscox help?
We are a specialist insurer of technology firms, our history in the sector goes back to 1994. Our products are designed with tech firms in mind, we have an in-house claims team made up of technology specialist solicitors there to offer practical support in the event of a dispute – everything is done with general principle of protecting our clients’ reputation.
- What do you enjoy most about working for Hiscox?
We are encouraged to be creative, rather than just follow the pack.
- Describe your life outside of work.
My wife and I have a young daughter, Constance, who is 18 months old, and she keeps us busy. Away from that I like football, modern art and forcing my daughter to listen to Kraftwerk instead of Incy Wincy Spider.