Diary of an Insurer: Zurich's Charles Bush

Monday

As a father of two, there’s a routine to my week that starts on Sunday evening, where my wife and I plan the week ahead deciding who will drop off and pick up the kids from school. 

Both our jobs involve travelling so we juggle things carefully between us. 

Monday morning arrives quickly, and I’m dropping the kids off to school before cycling to the station to start my commute to Zurich’s London office. 

On the train, I read the e-newspaper and catch up on anything that may have come through over the weekend. Monday is the most important day of the week setting the tone for everything that follows. 

The morning is for a series of leadership meetings to kick-start the week. We discuss business performance, new commercial opportunities and renewals where claims can add value, look at any emerging issues, and prioritise the week. 

If my 20-year career has taught me anything, it is that whatever I think my week will look like, it rarely survives beyond lunchtime. 

In the evening, I cycle back to Waterloo to make the train home in time for dinner with my family. 

My time on the train is used to make sure I have responded to all my emails the same day, even if it’s a holding response. 

Tuesday

I’m at the House of Lords with one of our strategic distribution partners so I spend my commute prepping. 

It’s a surreal blend of tradition and business wandering through corridors steeped in history before discussing challenges around areas of public policy with MPs and industry colleagues. 

On the agenda today was the Building Safety Act and the government’s response to flood risk.

In the afternoon, I’m back in the office for a face-to-face meeting with another broker to discuss changes of an upcoming policy renewal and its possible impact on claims response. 

Meeting with brokers is a great way for us to maintain our long-term relationships. 

By 6pm, I’m heading up to our Glasgow office ahead of a busy Wednesday meeting with colleagues and the claims leadership team in Scotland. 

Wednesday

The morning starts with a quick run around Glasgow before I prep for a day of meetings. 

I’m supporting our CEO on strengthening our UK culture focused on ‘Make Tomorrow Today’. 

Our work enables us to win in the market by delivering for our brokers and clients with more speed and greater ownership.

After a full morning of meetings, it’s time for lunch with our top talent from across our business including claims handers, data and insight colleagues, and team leaders. 

The sessions are always energising, as it is great to hear the different perspectives on how we can continue to deliver and support peoples’ careers at Zurich.

In the afternoon, it was time to catch up with the regional office leadership team to discuss the local market trends and by 4pm, I’m heading back home. 

Thursday

On Thursday morning I drop my son and daughter at school. 

On the journey we start making plans for the weekend. Park run makes its way on to the to do list. 

By the time I get off the train and into the office, I’ve cleared my inbox and am ready to join a loss scenario workshop with one of our clients, running through how their insurance policy will respond to a number of scenarios they’ve shared with us in advance. 

One of the most rewarding parts of my role is helping clients understand how their policy will respond in the event of a loss, taking them through realistic scenarios, and working collaboratively to ensure that it does what everyone expects of it.  

If we spot gaps in cover, we work with our customer and underwriting colleagues to close these. 

For lunch, I’m meeting with one of our strategic brokers to discuss an upcoming roundtable event we are jointly hosting on the topic of lithium-ion battery safety. 

When I’m back in the office I block out time to reflect on an upcoming ‘Make Tomorrow Today’ working group meeting we have on Friday to discuss what we learnt from our visits to various office locations and our virtual sessions with home workers who we’ve met with in recent weeks.

Friday

I start the day with an easy run to get the mileage up ahead of the weekend’s long run. 

The morning is spent catching up with colleagues from across the business before I head to the Community Wood Recycling Partnership in Brighton, an organisation Zurich has partnered with to donate wood following a claim.

The site is alive with volunteers sorting, restoring and reimagining timber that would otherwise have been thrown away and found its way to landfill. 

CWRP collects unwanted wood from major construction companies and transforms it into something useful and beautiful, whilst supporting volunteers in building practical skills.

In the evening, I head to the driving range with my son. One of our goals for 2026 is to be able to play a full round of golf by the end of the year.  

It is also a great way to relax after a busy week, easing myself into a weekend of ferrying the kids around to various clubs and meeting up with friends.