Rising Star: Marie McKelvie, Axa

How did you get into insurance?
By accident, not design. I knew absolutely nothing about insurance when I joined Axa as copywriter in 2011. But that served me well: I instinctively challenged the way things were done. This approach is one I’ve taken into my role as content manager – always putting myself in the customers’ shoes and asking ‘why are we doing this?’ or ‘could this be done better?’

How has your view about the insurance industry changed since you started?
My previous perception of the insurance industry as being dull or corporate isn’t at
all true in my experience. Sure, it’s not perfect, but I work with really talented people in a really fast-paced and exciting environment. Our marketing team at Axa Business Insurance is lean and agile, often with aspirations well beyond what is sometimes deemed possible. We’re encouraged to think and work in this way. People are often surprised to hear that.

Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
The industry has gone a long way to leverage content, but we’ve still got a long, long way to go. Getting there is what I’m passionate about now, and it’s what I’ll continue to be passionate about in the future. In 10 years I hope to be a leader in the field, truly demonstrating the value of content and content marketing to this industry.

What achievement are you most proud of?
I was behind introducing online customer reviews in Axa Business Insurance – a first for Axa in the UK. That was in 2012. Now, we publish reviews for all products across Axa globally. But the thing I’m most proud of is building the content team from the ground up. The five of us work on everything from social media to PR to content marketing to search engine optimisation. It’s the thing I’m most proud of but it’s been my greatest challenge.

What would be your advice to other newcomers in the industry?
Anything – actually, anything – is possible, if you put your mind to it. Even in insurance.