Broking break: And finally

My hidden talent

Before I was ‘converted’ into an insurance broker I played rugby professionally and then semi-professionally. Whilst at school I was lucky enough to play as part of a team at Twickenham in the National Schools Cup Final.

I went on to represent England Colts, Universities and U21s at home and abroad and had the honour of touring South America with the Barbarians. Over the years I played for a variety of clubs, including a season with Union Sportif Tours in France, which was a fantastic experience – late nights spent in our local bar ‘Le Backstage’, which was run by Mick Jagger’s ‘Man in France’, will never be forgotten!

It was while in France that I came to the realisation that rugby would not be a sustainable long-term career for me. On return, my father asked me to ‘tackle’ a temporary project in his brokerage. Seventeen years later I am still here and now run the business.

Many of the skills and experiences I gained in rugby have been an ‘advantage’ in insurance broking. A team ethic and a competitive nature are readily transferrable and of course a strong ‘conversion’ rate helps!

Philip Belgian, managing director, NC Insurance

Pet of the month - Hunter

Michael Lawrence, LV

LV personal lines director Michael Lawrence’s dog Hunter is a Golden Retriever and is two in the summer. He enjoys chasing things he hasn’t any chance of catching and playing with his owner and best friend, Austin (Michael’s son).

Why I chose insurance

After completing my A-levels, I was faced with the conundrum of opting to continue full-time education by going to university, or taking the apprenticeship route. The apprenticeship route was more tempting because, whilst continuing to learn academically, it’d also allow me to get out of the classroom and make a real difference within a business environment. The insurance industry represented the perfect opportunity to do that; I could achieve my CII qualifications and learn on the job, developing other skills. Fast-forward four-and-a-half years and I’m nearing the ACII qualification and have progressed well within my employer.

Ryan Legge, account handler, Hayes Parsons

On the spot

SME 360’s Juliet Williams on love stories and mastering martial arts 

▶ My favourite book is…

…Riders by Jilly Cooper – light hearted and Jilly always gives you a happy ending! Also love Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor – I’m a sucker for love stories.

▶ When I was a child I wanted to be a…

…barrister, I love finding ambiguities in policy wordings for my clients’ benefit.

▶ The funniest person in insurance is…

…it’s a toss up between Clare Corfield at RSA, Mark Hands from LV, NIG’s Darren Mason and David Williams at Axa – how he gets away with his tweets I do not know!

▶ The three foods I could not live without are…

…bread, cheese and cucumber. Crusty bread, a chunk of extra mature cheddar and half a cucumber – utter heaven (no butter though as this dilutes the pleasure).

▶ My dream job would be…

…I pretty much have this as I run a full-time martial arts school (I am a master in Taekwondo) and I also love my role in insurance, doing the deal is what excites me – with insurers or clients.

▶ My best moment in insurance (so far!) was…

…a training course in Bordeaux with Axa. Nothing to do with the red wine – honest!

Juliet Williams, group SME director at SME 360