Post magazine – 15 May 2014

It's Biba 2014 conference week, so this issue we take an in-depth look at what's going to be happening in Manchester. Highlights include Q&As with some of the speakers, leading industry figures go head-to-head on the burning customer issues; members of the Mancunian insurance workforce talk about the benefits of being located in the city; we provide a comprehensive lowdown on this year's host city in the company of the industry's movers and shakers; and of course #BibaFever hits Post as we explain why Manchester 2014 is Butlins for brokers and Jonathan Swift referees a battle of wits between teams representing the Blue and Red halves of Manchester.

Also in this issue, Aviva's broking management team talk to Stephanie Denton about a difficult 2013 with job losses, management changes and branch closures, and look forward to a future of stability and growth.

“You can underline this, put it in capitals and use it as your headline if you want – we want to grow,” says Phil Bayles, managing director for SME and broker, who along with commercial director Gareth Hemming and broker performance director Fraser Edmond, appeals for patience as they start to implement their plans.

In the news, British Insurance Brokers’ Association chief executive Steve White has questioned the speed of the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision-making process; care home rates skyrocket as firms seek to limit exposure after the Jimmy Savile scandal, with insurers moving policies from an ‘occurrence’ to ‘claims made’ basis; a broking M&A boom is predicted as private equity appetite grows; and the government's whiplash reform consultation is criticised for being ‘vague’ and ‘watered down’.

This week's C-Suite contributors are David Robinson, regional manager for UK and Ireland at Ace European Group, and Arthur J Gallagher's UK retail CEO Peter Blanc; Robinson advocates the need for communication between buyers, brokers and insurers, while Blanc talks about how the FCA and brokers are aligned in a desire to achieve good customer outcomes.

The countdown to the 20th British Insurance Awards continues with a mega Q&A involving some of the big winners over the years talking about the changes to the industry since the first BIAs in 1994.

A double-bill In Series questions how insurers running on outdated legacy systems can prepare themselves for the host of new data demands set to be ushered in by Solvency II; and suggests that with customer demand evolving faster than ever, insurers must break free from restrictive legacy systems.

Enjoy the read!