Broking break: And finally

My hidden talent / Why I chose insurance / Pet of the month / On the spot / Tweet of the month


So many acquisitions lately… should we be worried?

 


My hidden talent

Neil Pearce

I got into water polo at a young age, it being a natural progression from swimming for my local club, plus my dad has played for years and still does despite being in his 70s!

My involvement in the sport has taken me all over the world and I was fortunate enough to play in a number of home internationals for Wales, winning the Seven Nations Tournament in 1993.

I started out as a junior playing for the Southern Counties and worked my way to joining the most renowned club in England called The Polytechnic, winning six British Championships between 1990 and 1995.

Water polo is still an underrated sport in the UK but in my opinion, is one of the toughest to play – imagine trying to play rugby while swimming.

As with any team sport, when you get to a competitive level, it requires time, commitment and dedication, something I’ve carried with me in my career.

Staying fit is still extremely important to me and I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel yet. In April I’m off to Spain to play for our GB Masters team in a four-day televised tournament.

Neil Pearce, chief executive officer, Bishopsgate Insurance


Anita Devereux

Why I chose insurance

Insurance actually chose me, rather than the other way round.

I was about to start college when I got a call from a friend saying the company she had just started working for needed another office junior. I went in the following day for an interview, and started with Mann Broadbent the next!

Fortunately, I find that insurance is more interesting than many think, particularly in the sports industry, which is what I specialise in. The people element is fascinating and some of the claims can be very engaging.

Anita Devereux, scheme manager, Mann Broadbent


Pet of the month Feb 2018 - Lou
Pet of the month Feb 2018 - Lou

Pet of the month

Lou - Farmers and Mercantile Insurance Brokers’ Yorkshire office dog

Lou is 7 years old, a Border Terrier/Jack Russell, he loves food and playing with his toy tiger called Andrew


On the spot

Will Cooper

Stanhope Coopers’ MD William Cooper on books, food and adrenaline

▶ My favourite book is…
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

▶ When I was a child I wanted to be a…
…professional footballer. Sorry!

▶ The funniest person in insurance is…
…Mark Bower-Dyke.

▶ The three foods I could not live without are…
…porridge, chocolate and bananas.

▶ My dream job would be…
…Zane Lowe’s at Apple Music.

▶ My best moment in insurance (so far!) was…
…winning new business. The adrenaline hit is addictive.

William Cooper, managing director of Stanhope Cooper


Tweet of the month

Tweet of the month Feb 2018

Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.

To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@insuranceage.co.uk.

You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@insuranceage.co.uk to find out more.

Applied updates on commercial push

Applied Systems has confirmed Arch Insurance is about to enter the pilot phase of onboarding and will be live on the Applied Epic broker management system in April, with Iprism and Ark to follow and more promised in 2024.

GIC completes Miller deal

Institutional investor GIC has completed the takeover of Miller, buying out previous co-investor private equity house Cinven.

You need to sign in to use this feature. If you don’t have an Insurance Age account, please register now.

Sign in
You are currently on corporate access.

To use this feature you will need an individual account. If you have one already please sign in.

Sign in.

Alternatively you can request an indvidual account here: