Q&A: Charles Taylor Assistance’s Jody Baker

CEGA started as a family business in 1973. Are any of the family still involved?

Yes, Clive’s (CEGA co-founder) daughter is actively involved in medical assistance with us and has been for a while. In fact, her husband is also part of the company.

We have about 30 to 40 people who’ve been with us for over two decades. As we celebrated our 50th anniversary this year, we invited Clive, one of the founders, to share stories about the early days and reflect on the changes that we’ve undergone. It was a nice moment for all of us.

Would the family who established CEGA recognise the business today compared with when it started in 1973?

They would definitely recognise the core of the business, especially our continued connection to aviation.

The aviation aspect is more tenuous now, but we still do hundreds of repatriations, and we still arrange hundreds of aircraft transfers, although our wider offering is now more extensive.

The scale and evolution of the business might be a bit of a surprise to them too, given the significant changes over the years. Especially the changes that the acquisition ushered in.

How has the business changed since it was acquired by Charles Taylor in 2016?

The most substantial change is the shift in the business’s perspective in the marketplace. We were previously viewed as a UK-centric, family-oriented, and aviation-focused company, and the acquisition has provided a global platform for us.

We can now operate in diverse markets – expanding our reach, whether that’s through regulatory flexibility or established offices abroad.

Of course, an obvious big change was the increased financial support and stability that came from being part of Charles Taylor. This has been particularly valuable, especially during challenges like the pandemic. Had we gone through Covid as a small private business, I’m not quite sure we would have had the same outcome.

How are customers’ and insurers’ needs continuing to change?

For customers, the focus is on access points, which have significantly evolved. Not all customers want you to ring them, while some are straight on the phone whenever there’s a problem. Our customer base requires flexibility in how we engage with them, communication is vital.

For insurers, navigating through changing legislation always presents challenges. We work with the insurer to interpret that for their customers.

Saying that, obviously not all claims are covered, but you can still communicate effectively in those situations. If we can't cover a claim, we can tell the customer quickly, and explain our reasoning quickly, hopefully reducing any frustration.

For insurers, navigating through changing legislation always presents challenges. There are distance selling directives, commission disclosures, and then there is ICO, and it’s a lot for insurers to deal with.

That problem pretty much jumps straight to us, as we work with the insurer to interpret that for their customers. So, again, communication.

With climate change resulting in more weather events, how are you helping insurers with surges in claims?

Claim surges can manifest in a lot of ways, and we mainly address them through proactive communication. Specifically, during that early quick-answer Q&A session at the start of a claim.

Data is important too, so we follow up on claim surges promptly, gathering and sharing information from insurers or tour operators. Our interactive voice response system directs customers to submit claims digitally, so that helps too.

What are your plans for the next half-century of the business?

On the people side, I feel like we've kept a community-like feeling in our business over the last 50 years, even though obviously it's much bigger and quite different. Hopefully, for the next 50, we can keep that up!

On the business side, we are talking to some potential new clients, including some well-known high street names. So, hopefully, we will win some new business that we can talk about soon.