I bring passion, consideration, and ambition to everything I do.
I’m a commercial minded and influential people leader and can demonstrate a track record of building, motivating and coaching teams to achieve high performance with passionate and well executed engagement across multiple products or functions within both insurer and MGA businesses.
Proven Track Record
The knowledge and experience I’ve gained across various underwriting, sales and operational roles has taught me how to build and grow a successful insurance business and enables me to work with agility and pace even within a corporate environment.
Effective Development
I possess an underwriting background in Property, Casualty and Motor related classes and have managed Profit and Loss and portfolio performance. I’ve driven Sales growth and customer numbers through collaborative engagement and the deployment of effective development activity.
Driven to Deliver
My strengths are an extension of my values. I am firmly ambitious around what can be achieved and am driven to deliver an excellent customer experience on all occasions. I’m inquisitive by nature and am well versed at managing multiple priorities and change environments. I have an eye for detail that enables me to analyse and then summarise data and information clearly when conveying to others.
Jan 2018 – Present – Regional Underwriting Leader/Manager,
RSA Commercial, Midlands
What I do:
• Delivery of RSA’s “Out Performance” culture and ambition across the Midlands Region leading, coaching, and motivating a team of 30 underwriters to deliver financial plan and positive customer outcomes in line with risk appetite, underwriting quality, portfolio mix strategy and governance requirements.
• Provide underwriting direction and convey strategic/business updates to the team. Support the development of the team’s underwriting capability & commercial acumen.
• Proactively review portfolio performance with appropriate product owners, identifying trends and taking action to bring profitability, pricing, and growth KPI’s in line with plan.
• Manage large customer/ prospect activity to ensure a “no surprise” culture and relevant tactical / stakeholder plans are effective in providing solutions to the challenges and issues facing customers. Shape and inform commercial decisions that impact the Profit and Loss.
• Work with the Sales to develop broker relationships, contribute to sales plans and identify areas/ opportunities to deliver profitable growth with supporting customer propositions
• Support on a range of business improvement projects including M S dynamics & workflow management systems.
What I’ve delivered:
• 2023 KPI’s– Regional Results over £50M GWP, £1.7M up on plan. Team achieved annual NB plan over £10M. 2019 - 2022 -financials min 108% of GWP plan.
• Rate, retention, “policies in force” and profitability figures all in line with plan at regional level.
• Results delivered against a backdrop of transformational change with multiple project demands impacting normal resourcing capacity along with 8 new starters over the course of the year bringing additional coaching and training requirements.
• Have established strong trading relationships with major brokers in the area. Guided team market engagement with a focus on pace, purpose, appetite, and great customer outcomes
• Influenced effective team engagement through strategy updates,121 coaching and running team sessions identifying how important RSA values are in achieving the outperformance ambition.
• End of year Performance Appraisal rating last 4 years: Outstanding, Excelling Outstanding, & Performing
• Won “UK Team Player of the Year 2020” at RSA Shining Stars Awards for individual contribution across several cross-function business areas outside of BAU role – Including operational management of Profin renewal process nationally during period of transition involving weekly prioritisation calls & matrix management of stakeholders.
Jan 2015 – Dec 17 - Regional Manager - East Midlands,
RSA Commercial
When I started:
Responsible for overall Profit and Loss for £20M GWP and delivery of RSA’s “Best in Class” ambition across the East Midlands.
What I delivered:
• When appointed, the Region was underperforming so I spent 18 months rebuilding team capability and transforming business performance. Worked closely with UK Exec and HO Portfolio Directors to identify performance trends and actively manage portfolio performance.
• Recruited four underwriters, supported training requirements; implementing portfolio controls & introduced an effective operating rhythm. Put in place a remediation plan to return a £800k scheme to profit.
• In 2017 exceeded new business; retention and GWP plan, whilst delivering underlying loss ratio’s 8% better than plan on Property & Motor and 3% better on Combined Technical validation - Implemented a variety of controls and best practice guides to move from “unacceptable” in 2014 to “satisfactory” in July 16.
• Achieved a 15-point improvement in broker satisfaction over a 2-year period though increased market viability, broker events and regular delivery of “Why RSA” client pitches to brokers, customers and prospects using RSA Risk Consultancy & partners to differentiate our proposition.
• Managed and implemented regular change programme when office closed and became overall Midlands Region. Included leading team through change and external coms re impact and benefits.
June 2014 – July 2015 – Regional Sales Manager - Midlands,
RSA Commercial
When I started:
• Led sales team activity & increased market profile across the Birmingham & Leicester sites to build effective trading relationships with key brokers and deliver the regional plan.
What I delivered:
• KPI Performance – 116% of NB plan at year end 2015 across wider Midlands Region.
• Sales Team Management – Built intensity of approach and focus around team priorities, sales disciplines, Account Planning, Call activity, Territory planning. Improved individual performance & tackled under performance elsewhere
June 2009 – January 2014 - Area Development Manager: NIG, Midlands
When I started:
Head of Regional Trading. Led & developed a team to deliver the regional plan (£45M GWP & £9M NB). Contributed to the broader UK Strategy as part of the UK Leadership team.
What I delivered:
• Leadership – With support of TACK International rolled out PRO PAYBACK training to the underwriting communities nationally thereby developing the trading capabilities and performance outcomes of the regional underwriting teams.
• Proposition Delivery - Implemented new trading strategies and activity planning aligned to broker segmentation. Success criteria was short-listing for final of National Sales Awards - Sales Management Team of the Year.
• Stakeholder collaboration – Worked with HO Underwriting and Marketing teams to support the launch of 5 new products to market targeting mid-market customers.
• Market Engagement - stimulated growth through identification of broker’s strategic need and alignment of resource and added value needs. Took 3 “transactional” relationships from Nil to £750,000 + accounts in just over 12 months.
• Transformation – implementation of change programme following restructure owning the communication and knowledge transfer work streams.
Mar 2007 – Mar 2009 - Managing Director, MGA, UK General, Midlands and SW
When I started:
Head of Region with full P & L responsibility on £12M GWP. Part of UK leadership team which shaped & delivered overall strategy.
What I delivered:
• Rolled out and coached the regional team through a collaborative trading programme, which built stronger broker relationships and improved underwriting risk mix and loss ratio performance.
• Embedded the necessary controls, operational efficiency and underwriting disciplines required to meet capacity provider requirements under binding arrangements.
• Successfully implemented “underwriting for profit” strategy, involving the re underwriting every renewal case in line with guidelines.
• Changed focus of distribution so that 75% of new business secured came from “target brokers”. NB won that was held by the broker increased from 40% to 75% and Net conversion on new business increased from 10% to 35%.
January 2003 – March 2007 - UK Sales Manager, Primary (UK) General
When I started:
To create and delivered a Sales and Marketing strategy for a start-up MGA across the UK delivering against GWP; Income and profit targets.
What I delivered:
• Delivered an effective sales and marketing strategy resulting in growth of the book from a standing start to £50M GWP.
• Recruited, coached & developed a sales team of eight to successfully use benefit selling techniques and other sales models to improve performance. Appointed 500+ broker relationships nationally.
• Led and motivated the UK sales team to “punch above its weight” in the market with 80% of provincial brokers placing Primary General as a top 3 new business market Managed the delivery of all marketing activity including website content, product literature and events to deliver a strong profile and brand within 4 years of launch.
Earlier Roles:
• 1996 – 2003: Senior Account Manager, AXA Insurance
• 1990 – 1996: Underwriting and Sales roles, Sun Alliance
• 1986 – 1990: Liability Underwriter, Eagle Star Insurance
Other Skills/ Personal Development:
• RSA Portfolio Management Programme & 5 stages of underwriting programme
• Inspirational Leadership & Principles
• Framework for High Performing Teams & High-Performance Sales Training
• Personal Coaching
•Art of Embedding Performance, Art of impressing and Influencing, Art of Sales
• Life’s a Pitch (www.andybounds.com)
• PRO PAYBACK Sales Model
• Collaborative Trading
• Nkuzi Coaching - Leading through change
Personal
Married with two daughters 15 & 11.
Enjoys family time, taking daughters horse riding, travelling and AVFC season ticket holder.
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