Arch’s Ian Grundy on bringing specialist expertise closer to brokers

As Broker Expo returns to the NEC, Arch Insurance is once again ready to engage with their brokers. Ian Grundy, regional manager for the Midlands and South West, shares what’s changed at the insurer over the past year and why he thinks it’s worth setting aside 15 minutes to stop by at Stand 17.

As regional manager I spend most of my time doing what I enjoy most: working alongside brokers to find solutions for their clients, whatever shape those risks take.

Our region now covers both Birmingham and Bristol branches, giving brokers access to a bigger pool of underwriting expertise and a clearer and faster route to the right person.

For me, working with brokers comes down to two things: being available and being genuinely open to finding the right answer, even when a risk doesn’t fit neatly into a standard box.

We still write the more straightforward, mainstream business, but increasingly we’re being asked to help with specialist cases that don’t sit comfortably in the mainstream market. That’s where we want to add real value.

You’ve got a stand at the Broker Expo. What will Arch be looking to discuss with brokers on the day?

Broker Expo is a fantastic opportunity to spend quality time with our brokers to update them on any developments in our risk appetite and how we can better support them and their clients.

At Arch, we’re building on our position as a long-term partner for our brokers and clients, while sharpening our focus on more specialist risks.

That doesn’t mean stepping away from the everyday business, but rather adding real capability on top of it, working closely with our London Market colleagues to bring expertise directly into the regions particularly around larger and more complex risks.

So, how we can support our brokers in this space is certainly something we’re looking to discuss at the Expo. For example, as UK manufacturing becomes ever more tied to global supply chains, we’re able to support brokers with cases involving US exports, cross-border liability or access to broader market capacity, without losing that regional, relationship-led service.

We’re also bringing our product liability clinic to the stand this year. The Arch team will be on hand to talk through specific product liability queries face to face, including sector-specific conversations around defence, chemicals, military and advanced manufacturing.

How is Arch supporting its brokers in a particularly competitive environment?

The softening market conditions are creating a competitive environment in which many brokers are seeking new business to grow, and we want to help them do exactly that.

Our one-quote-to-market approach, combined with early engagement, means brokers can bring us in ahead of a placement and give their client the strongest proposition, not just on price, but on wording, service and value-added support.

Our risk appetite also means we can support brokers on the more complex or typically harder to place risks.

Over the past 12 months we’ve written some genuinely interesting risks such as a water rescue equipment manufacturer, an agricultural machinery exporter with significant US exposure and a biorefinery turning whisky industry waste into green energy, just to name a few.

We also provide risk management services through Arch Risk Management Plus which in several cases has proved a defining factor in winning or retaining business which we’re proud of.

So, why brokers should visit the Arch stand?

Because we want to engage with our brokers face to face. We feel that in-person conversations are where all the good stuff happens.

Come and talk to us about our appetite, what we’re doing differently in sectors like defence, chemicals and advanced manufacturing, and how our product liability clinic can help you think through a live case there and then. If you’ve got a complex risk that you’re not sure fits anywhere neatly, bring it along. That’s exactly the kind of conversation we want to have.

Sign up to attend the Broker Expo on 8 October at the Birmingham NEC

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