Diary of an Insurer: Collegiate’s Amy Barnes

Monday

While Monday is a work-from-home day, my day still starts early with a ‘commute’ to drop my husband at the train station and take my cheerful four-year-old daughter to nursery.

Her current car playlist is the Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack, so it is a happy start to the week singing along to catchy K-pop tunes.

I have a weekly catch-up meeting via Teams with the claims director and other two deputies to discuss developments, ways to improve, and divide any management tasks for the week.

At some point, one of my two ragdoll cats will surely make an appearance to show their fluffiness off on camera.

As a deputy director, I spend about half my time handling claims through their full life cycle and the other half assisting with managing the department with a specific concentration on finance.

Being home allows me to spend the rest of the morning working through my day-to-day claims files and then dedicate the afternoon to a management project, which today is developing the designated handler system to give insureds and brokers a single, consistent point of contact for their claims.

Tuesday

Both my husband and I work in central London during the middle of the week, so we split the nursery runs 50/50.

One of us starts work an hour in advance in order to leave earlier to do the pick-up while the other does the drop-off. Today, I’m on pick-up so get up at 5.45am to walk to the train station.

Luckily, I’m no longer walking in the dark and the early bird song is refreshing.

The office is very quiet when I get in which gives me a chance to power through some emails before the day kicks off.

I then have a morning meeting with the finance team to check on progress and discuss any issues that may need addressing.

Tuesday lunchtime is run club for anyone who wants to partake, and I find it is a really good way to fit in some exercise in a busy week. As I’m part of the Collegiate team undertaking Tough Mudder in September, I need to keep the training up.

In the afternoon, I first have a call with an insured to discuss the progression of a claim against them and alleviate their concerns. Then I have an internal ‘watchlist’ meeting to discuss any particularly large or difficult claims with the individual handling them to ensure all necessary steps are being taken and to discuss any specific issues.

I leave at 4pm so I have sufficient time to pick up my daughter from nursery. Her excited face on seeing me is always one of the best moments of my day.

She informs me that when she grows up she is going to be a doctor, an artist, a ballerina and an astronaut, which “is only four things”. When put like that, perhaps I’m chronically underachieving.

Wednesday

I’m on nursery drop-off today so get some time with my daughter doing some colouring alongside breakfast.

My train journeys to and from London give me a chance to read Collegiate’s monthly book club pick.

On the first Thursday of every month we pick a local venue to discuss our choice and give it our ratings.

It includes ex-Collegiate and wider insurance market members, so it is great chance to catch-up socially as well as ensure I keep up with my love of reading in a busy adult life.

This month’s book is Svetlana Alexievich’s Unwomanly Face of War, an eye-opening, emotional read.

The day is, as ever, a mix of emails, questions and problem solving.

I spend some time updating the training documents before undertaking a session with our two newest team members to go through a very critical component of insurance for claims: how to process and arrange payments.

I then oversee their first attempts at putting this into practice before attending to an urgent email request from a broker.

After work, I go with a colleague to a yoga class to relax my mind and stretch my desk weary body.

After getting home and a quick shower, I settle in for the last hour of my day and watch an episode of Bridgerton.

Thursday

I start the day attending the International Underwriting Association’s Professional Lines Claims Committee monthly meeting with the insurance market to discuss updates and solutions to problems being encountered. I then update our team.

Before lunch, I collate the monthly management information for one of our insurers and advise them of trends we have seen in the month.

Collegiate have arranged an International Women’s Day lunch with numerous women in the insurance market, and it is great company and delicious food.

The women of Collegiate also attend a paint-and-sip class after work, and we are all pleasantly surprised by the artwork we produce.

Friday

Friday is usually a work from home day, but I’m in central London again for a mediation on a very tricky claim that also includes a vulnerable insured.

It is a long, rollercoaster of a day, which requires personal and empathic skills more than insurance knowledge to resolve.

While a slightly stressful end to the week, the positive settlement outcome will hopefully bring the long running matter to a satisfactory conclusion for all.

I’ve missed take-out Friday dinner but grab something at the train station before heading home. I’m incredibly tired, so turn in for an early night ready for a fun weekend running around with my daughter.