Editor’s comment – Adios amigos

The industry likes nothing more than a bit of benchmarking and to see if all the predictions, updates and – in some cases – blustering come to anything. Often, there is little movement at the top of the table, but firms lower down the table swap on a regular basis, and this year sees newcomer Convex shake things up a bit in the Top 20.

The table, produced in association with AM Best, illustrates the size of the UK insurance market and the players it comprises of. This year’s ranking is particularly poignant as the sector is facing challenges from inflation to supply chain issues, from uncertainly in the markets to the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the ‘great resignation’ to low consumer confidence.

During my time of writing about the sector, I have seen company names change, firms merge or be taken over, I’ve seen soft markets, hard markets and highs (the 2012 summer Olympics and British Insurance Brokers’ Association conferences/British Insurance Awards) and lows (sex scandals and a slowness to fully embrace diversity and inclusion).

Although the sector seems to have gotten smaller, one thing remains large and that’s the insurance heart. The people behind the various departments all have one thing in common – doing the very best for their customers.”

In some ways, although it seems to have gotten smaller (there are less insurers, brokers and loss-adjusting firms now than when I started) one thing remains large and that’s the insurance heart. Although most ‘people fell’ into it, rather than aimed for it, the people behind the departments all have one thing in common – doing the very best for their customers.

My job has been to be critic and friend and, while I’ve seen many cases where the sector has got this wrong – think business interruption during the Covid-19 pandemic – for so many customers you are getting it right. Thank you to so many of you for embracing the insurance trade press, and making the past 18 years extremely interesting.

Although I’m moving on, there will always be a place in my heart for insurance and after more than 180 years in print, and now online, Post will remain there supporting the sector through its next insurance cycle and well beyond. Adios amigos!