Broker Choice Shortlist

At C-Quence, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service standards to commercial insurance brokers, setting new benchmarks in the industry. Our approach is deeply rooted in leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance efficiency and accuracy while providing a seamless experience for our broker partners.

With that in mind the 5 reasons why we should be considered as the MGA of the year are:

1. Exceptional Service Standards enabled by:
   a. Broker driven trading platform with:
   i.70% of risks algorithmically underwritten - the 'Happy Path'
   ii.3rd party data used to enhance client and risk information
   iii.Smart dynamic question sets - only relevant questions asked
   iv. Quotes available to bind within minutes
   b. Prompt underwriting decisions when necessary
   i. Contactable underwriters
   ii. 35% of referrals cleared within 15 mins, 70% within 3 hours and all broker queries cleared daily.
   c. 90% of renewals are automated
   d. Automated compliance checks

   
   2. Creative approach to the Commercial Insurance Market. Innovations that make broking easier:
   a. Automated Submission ingestion
   i.' Drag & Drop' a market submission into our AI supported reader on our platform - no keying required and quote available in seconds
   ii. Easily Handles complex P&C risks and multi-premises risks
   b. Batch quoting
   i. 100s risks can be processed in minutes with individual quotes emailed direct to the broker. Ideal for:
   1. Portfolio transfers
   2. Cross selling opportunities
   c. Use of virtual assistants working 24/7 to automate operational processes saving time and cost while ensuring accuracy and reliability. Examples:
   i. "Irene Newell" communicates with brokers to provide an efficient renewal service with timely communications and accurate quotes;
   ii. "Penny Hunter" connects with broker finance teams to speed up reconciliations and premium collections.

   
   3. Product
   a. We offer 23 sophisticated short, concise modular products across our Financial Lines and Property Casualty Business - allowing (i) brokers to pick and mix and (ii) easy for clients to understand.
   b. Designed for complex commercial needs
   c. Automated document construction
   d. Endorsements seamless integrated into policy wording

   
   4. Schemes & Facilities capability
   a. A customisable toolkit for Schemes and Facilities enables brokers to craft exclusively tailored solutions that give the broker a competitive advantage in their chosen sectors
   b. Bespoke Product, pricing and simplified applications integral to the toolkit
   c. Easy and quick to set up - fully operational within 6-8 weeks

   
   5. People - Our team
   We are a unique blend of commercial insurance, underwriting and technology skills with a clear purpose - to transform the commercial insurance market

•    We are specialists
We provide more than 25 products and services in the UK and offer global coverages across Specialty, Commercial and Personal Lines product offerings. Supported by an exceptional range of underwriters in the market.

Our specialist property MGA, magenta has an excellent track record with over 32 years’ experience in the sector. They continue to grow and this last 12 months is no different, with an increase of £16m in GWP.

KGM, our specialist motor MGA, has achieved record growth, writing over 700,000 policies in 2023, with over 40% growth in GWP in the last year.

•    We offer stability
We’ve been in the market for over 20 years and continue to be supported by leading capacity providers, with which we have long standing relationships, some spanning decades.

Our propositions are accessed by over 3,700 intermediaries throughout the UK. We believe in the value of long-term partnerships and are proud to have over 60 £1m+ GWP accounts.

•    We are expanding
The future is exciting. Despite being a £1bn GWP business, we remain ambitious to do more. We’ll continue to invest in developing our existing propositions and aim to keep them at the forefront of the market, acquire specialist MGAs, and deliver our Regional Commercial strategy to bring the power of DUAL into the regional market.

•    We provide end-to-end service excellence
From underwriting to claims, we believe in providing a first-class solution that helps to meet the needs of our brokers, their clients and our partners. We’re investing in tech and data, to deliver better outcomes. With the aim of helping to support brokers to identify areas of exposure, demand and new growth opportunities, with a particular focus on broker education.

•    We have a strong people-first culture
We believe people and relationships are what matters most, and empower our people to do something better. Our entrepreneurial and people-first culture drives the business to develop products, services and processes that consistently deliver for our partners.

We are a business with employee ownership at our heart.
At DUAL we believe that we’re stronger together. 
And when you succeed, we succeed.
 

DUAL
Helping you do more
 

- DCL offer a human approach to underwriting.  Brokers are able to speak to an underwriter directly to discuss their risk.

- We are committed to the responsive roll-out of tailored products to support brokers and policyholders.

- We launched our ‘Claims Clinics’ initiative this year to increase all-important face time with brokers.

- DCL are consistently improving communication between policyholder, broker and insurer with our quarterly claims review meetings.

- We have invested over £1 million in an innovative portal for brokers to gain real-time access to their clients’ claims information.

1: GREATER ACCESS TO PRODUCTS
The transformation of Geo Underwriting services from a 'House of Brands' to a business model, centred around six core Specialisms, has provided brokers and their clients with a streamlined service, renowned for great products, people, and capacity.
Through doing this and aligning the Specialisms to one TOBA, brokers have access to over 180 products, allowing them to find innovative solutions to support a wide range of clients.

2: OUR PEOPLE
Our people are our greatest strength - they are passionate about their Specialisms, both in a personal and professional capacity - we believe this is what sets us apart.
Many of our underwriters bring lived experience from their respective industries-be it farming, or sailing. This unique perspective enables them to have a deeper understanding of both the market and client challenges, and offer unparalleled support and insights to our brokers, making our service offering truly stand out. We also invest in our people through apprenticeships, learning development schemes and mentorships, all helping nurture talent within the industry.
Our vision is to be the market leader in our chosen communities and position the organisation for long-term success, focusing on the development of our talented people, protecting clients through risk management, increasing access and efficiency through technology in the pursuit of simplification.

3: INVESTING IN THE PROFESSION
We are committed to investing in the profession through attracting and developing talent and raising standards. Investing in apprenticeships, developing graduates and offering training programmes across our Specialisms to our brokers, including risk management support.
Through our Renovation Specialism we are proud to offer the innovative Contract Works Academy and through our Protection Specialism Lorega, we offer specific soft skills training, we even offer training related to Taxation matters, all designed to increase brokers' skills and knowledge, help them to support their clients and to increase professionalism in the market.

4: FLEXIBILITY
We pride ourselves on delivering flexible solutions, in specialist segments where we add value and can provide expertise to our brokers and their clients. Our flexible approach has seen us reduce complexity, improve service and focus on areas of expertise, enhancing our proposition to brokers and capacity providers.
As a result of our strong relationships, capacity providers trust us to deliver, allowing us to support brokers and respond quickly to changing customer demands.
Providing stability to business partners is also key. We have longstanding capacity relationships, going back twenty years. Ensuring these relationships strengthen, whilst forging new relationships, fosters trust and mitigates uncertainty in the market - contributing to sustainable growth and success.

5: SIMPLIFYING THE BROKER JOURNEY
A pivotal aspect of this strategy has been the migration of three businesses onto a new technology platform, with meticulous plans in place for the seamless transition of the remaining entities. This structural overhaul was complemented by substantial investment in digital initiatives, including the ongoing development of a broker portal and website, cementing our commitment to providing a simplified, but dedicated support to our brokers and clients.

•    We offer flexible and speedy underwriting and trading solutions for brokers, both online and offline.  
•    Our sensitivity to broker needs and market conditions allow us to respond quickly. 
•    We are continually innovating and developing new products to ensure brokers are getting the best possible solutions for their clients. 
•    We have a solid spine of top-quality products supported by a team of underwriting experts available to support our brokers.   
•    We have extensive experience in schemes development of all sizes and work closely with our brokers to develop a strong proposition.     
 

1) In-house support - We're proud to have a dedicated team of in-house underwriters and dedicated claims team who are always on the end of the phone, to support you and your clients. We recently were able to pay out on a £10k tools claim in 3 working days, thanks to the collaborative partnership between our claims team and the underwriter.

2) Innovation and Excellence - Kingsbridge has significantly impacted the SME insurance landscape in the UK through continuous innovation in product offerings and technology. With our unique Professional Indemnity policy continuing to fill placement gaps for broker and within 8 months of trading our Admiral offering, we were able to increase our capacity to £5m runover and 25 employees, thanks to our proactive underwriter Admiral, and the progressive feedback loop between brokers and MGA.

3) Strategic Goals - We are always aiming to sustain meaningful and valuable growth, not just for our commercials, but for industry standards expand broker partnerships, and develop new products tailored to market needs. This is exemplified by our successful Liabilities Combined scheme and Tradesman package in partnership with Admiral.

4) Broker Collaboration - Our strategic goals are closely aligned with feedback from broker partners, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to address market challenges with authentic solutions. We currently have around 60 active broker partnerships that we regularly communicate with.

5) Maximizing the Broker Channel - The Wholesale team are constantly engaged with broker communities such as the BIBA Council and regional CII boards, allowing us to develop in line with similar organisations and like-minded people. We have a continued feedback loop from brokers on pricing, service, cover levels, and breadth of cover against competitors, which allows us to feedback to Admiral for continuous improvement on the product.

• Making Brokers’ Lives Easy is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing the best experience for our brokers and have evolved considerably over the last 12 months to meet their needs. These include:
  • Flexible Underwriting: NBS offers a wide range of commercial and household insurance products, supported by an expert team of underwriters committed to providing the best possible terms.
  • Fast Turnaround on Quotations: We provide a fast turnaround on quotations, even for the most complex cases, with all quotes actioned within 4 hours. Our award-winning and easy-to-use quotation system features sophisticated question sets.
  • Introduction of New Products: Over the past 12 months, we have introduced new products to help brokers serve their clients. These include commercial combined, excess of loss, multi-location hospitality, and unoccupied commercial property.
  • Fair Policy Fee Structure: We have maintained a realistic and sustainable policy fee structure with no minimum commitment, ensuring fairness to brokers.
     

- Our speed of Service. Where possible, we provide instant quotes thanks to our tech focused approach which automates the underwriting process. In the case of a referral, response times can be as little as 63 minutes.

- Our previous accolades, 2 of which have been achieved just this year.

- We're incredibly receptive to broker feedback. We've run surveys and implemented the feedback i.e. developing an unoccupied product and introducing the callback system

- We provide great broker support. Aside from our call back system which ensures brokers are receiving calls at a time convenient to them, we are in the process of setting up "surgery" sessions which provide more in depth and personal support from our expert underwriting team.

- We keep our brokers informed. Our most successful campaign to date has been our monthly Index Linking updates which keep our broking partners on top of the game. 
 

1. You can speak to us at Pen. We answer the phone, respond promptly, actively go out to meet with brokers across the regions and know the value of a quick ‘no’ as well as a swift ‘yes’. Your service is our priority. We’re committed to continuous improvement and proud of our 4.8/5 rating from Feefo and 2024 Gold Trusted Service Award. But we’ll work hard every day to maintain it.
2. You can find the solution you need for customers. Pen is a true marketplace. From professions to property owners, marine to construction, haulage and hazardous goods to non-standard household and much more in between, we specialise in writing a wide range of niche insurance products and providing risk-managed solutions through empowered underwriters who are keen to trade and talk with brokers.
3. You can trade with us in multiple ways that suit you best. Whether that’s via our own online quote and bind portal, software house platforms, via phone or email, or traditional face to face negotiated underwriting. Online does not mean faceless either – expert underwriters are on-hand every step of the way for you to speak to, whichever route you choose.
4. You can expect consistency, stability and sustainability, rather than the Hokey Cokey approach. Many of our strategic capacity partnerships are now decades-long, not just years. Likewise, we have been consistent providers of cover in even the most challenging of classes. We are not fair-weather underwriters. We always look to deliver significant value at a fair price for the long-term.
5. You can expect a tailored claims service and support. Not a one-size fits all philosophy. We have different solutions to best fit our wide range of products and the needs of our policyholders, including many dedicated in-house claims teams who are specialists in their fields.

• We are a long-established leader and standard-setting MGA for non-standard Home and Motor products, boasting 26 years of successful trading built on strong, longstanding, collaborative relationships with our Broker and Insurer partners. 
• Innovation is at the heart of our approach, with consistent investment in value-added enhancements. Ensuring positive customer outcomes is at the core of everything we do.
• Our significant investment in our non-standard home insurance product Coverall, distributed by a network of over 500 Brokers with 30,000+ clients, has further distinguished our business.
• We were the first MGA to embrace Flood Re’s Build Back Better initiative, providing brokers with solution to cede non-standard household risks. Additionally, we pioneered embedding claims specialist assistance cover into our Coverall and Thatched Home policies, offering our customers crucial support during significant claims.  
• We operate across three territories (GB, NI, ROI) and are supported by leading A-rated insurers – Aviva, Axa, NIG. Stability of capacity is critical to achieving our goals and long-term vision. Our strategic goal to exclusively work with rated capacity for our core products ensures a sustainable, long-term solution for our broker partners and their clients.  

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1. Delivering for brokers in the Mid-Corporate space. We’ve restructured to create one go-to-market Commercial business across SME to large-corp. But when it comes to mid-market, we’re a one-stop shop of advanced insurance solutions, underwriting expertise, and global knowledge delivered locally through our extensive branch network. Through cross-team collaboration, our new supercharged approach has delivered strong retention and new business growth. We’re loyalty leader in mid-corp and first in Brokerbility’s Satisfaction Survey.
2. Supporting customers, together. 2023 was another year of major weather events impacting our customers. Despite supply chains challenges, we remained #1 in Gracechurch Claims Survey for the 8th year running – the only insurer to receive this accolade. Gracechurch highlighted our personalised service and striking the right balance between expert assistance and online capability through Claims Hub and Live Chat.
3. Increasing efficiency. Continual transformation investment and systems thinking is delivering for brokers and customers. Our award-winning Cytora partnership has digitalised underwriting workflow improving speed to market, helping brokers to win and retain customers.
4. Taking care of our people to better serve brokers. As a Chartered Insurer, expertise underpins Allianz, and our employee L&D portfolio is renowned. Our numerous training offerings and apprenticeship programmes (plus our broker programme) invest in the industry’s future. Our employee engagement scores increased +2%. Allianz also launched a Race at Work training programme and ranked 14th in the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List (2023). All of this translates to more empowered, engaged, and knowledgeable people supporting our brokers day in, day out.
5. Securing the future of society. Our commitment to ESG is ever-growing, and we’re taking our brokers on that journey too. By bringing together our renewable energy experts into one team, we’re better supporting brokers in the Mid-Corporate space and growing our green power portfolio. We refreshed our fleet policies to prescribe fitting green parts for non-safety critical repairs. As well as our 2019 – 2023 Mind charity partnership, we’re enabling our brokers to make a difference too. Allianz’s Net-Zero Accelerator offers free sustainability consultancy, Mental Health First Aider qualifications support brokers’ wellbeing, whilst the Allianz Sports Fund donated £100,000 to broker nominated grassroots sports clubs. 

Arch Launches National Development Team to Support Independent and Network Brokers
In 2023, Arch launched a new National Development Team to work exclusively with smaller, independent brokers and networks. Despite the quality of business opportunity, this market has been underserved. Arch is now bringing the same calibre of service and experienced underwriters available to larger commercial brokers to this critical sector. The success has resulted in a significant increase in new business during 2023, including:
•3.5x more risks bound in 2023
•GWP growth of c20% from independent and network brokers
•Securing Business Partner of the Year from Bravo Networks
•First place for 'overall service for independent brokers' in the leading commercial lines five-star survey
Solving Complex Risks Initiative Relaunched
According to broker surveys, the market is not providing brokers with the underwriting expertise on 'difficult-to place' complex risks as they are typically directed towards an e-trade route, where premiums fall under a certain threshold. In 2023, Arch relaunched the Solving Complex Risks initiative to amplify this proposition with more local, regional and technical underwriters. The results included:
•50% increase in business written on difficult-to-place commercial-combined risks
•Development of underwriting specialisms, including US exposures
Swift Claims Team Established to Enhance Claims Performance
Arch recognises the need to continually elevate claims performance. In 2023, the establishment of the Swift Claims Team aimed to increase performance on low-value buildings claims. This dedicated team has already achieved stellar performance enhancements:
•FNOL turnaround times averaging 3 hours (down from 24) on general property claims
•Post turnaround times averaging 1.2 days (down from 2)
•Low value claims lifecycles reduced on average by 80%
Driving Efficiency at Every Phase of the Product Lifecycle
Arch's commitment to driving efficiency at every phase of the product lifecycle continues. Evolving the Regional Trading units into a single, highly resourced, National Trading Team staffed by experienced underwriters has had an extremely positive impact on renewal business:
•Renewal rates currently at over 92%
•Reduction in quote logging times from 36 hours to 24
•Teams consistently beat targets for ensuring renewal quotes are with policyholders two months prior to renewal
Arch Outperforms in Broker Surveys
Arch punches well above its market weight on every broker survey:
•Net Promoter Score in Gracechurch's BIBA survey 21 points higher than market average (up 14 points year-on-year). Secured top spot in peer group and sits second overall out of 21 insurers
•Only insurer to receive five-stars in consecutive years in one of the leading UK commercial lines surveys

1. Central to our purpose, customers remain our primary focus. We proactively protect customer interests and have extended our market-leading capability to automatically detect underinsurance at new business and renewal. We’ve added essential covers to c1000 vulnerable customers, and have addressed over £800m of property underinsurance in the past year.
2. We’ve listened and acted on broker feedback to strengthen regional presence. We’ve strengthened our visibility and responsiveness to brokers and customers by opening 2 new branch locations in Southampton and Chelmsford, and expanding our presence in Glasgow. We continue to develop our offering to help brokers run and grow their businesses including support with L&D, compliance, sustainability and more.
3. We’ve invested in our main strength, our people. We strengthened our team securing key talent and developing capability with 457 underwriting licence upgrades through June YTD, allowing us to better deliver for our brokers and customers.
4. We’re expanding our offering. We’re expanding our proposition breadth to help us better deliver for clients, launching 11 Commercial Lines products over the last year.
5. Here for local communities. We’re aiming for a brighter future, by working with brokers to recognise our impact on our environment, communities and society through initiatives such as our Sustainable Business Coach tool and Broker Community Fund, investing £300,000 in local good causes last year.

-    AXA Commercial have invested heavily in our people to ensure we have empowered experts in the mid-corporate space making quick decisions, making us a responsive and trusted Insurer.
-    AXA Commercial’s mid-corporate proposition is unique and bespoke to each individual client, aiming to get under the skin of what keeps customers up at night and helping them understand and mitigate loss.
-    Mid-Corporate customers have dedicated Claims Relationship Managers and Business Resilience Managers aligned to them; providing a tailored and personal service for claims and risk management.
-    AXA’s claims defensibility strategy allows us to protect customers’ claims experience and premium spend by preventing unnecessary claim payments. 
-    Our mid-corporate wordings offer flexible cover in up to 7 EU territories and our unique collaboration with AXAXL allows us to offer increased capacity as required. 
 

1.Tailored Solutions: Chubb prides itself on strong technical capabilities in Underwriting. We understand the needs of our broker and clients. We match product specialists and broker distribution connecting different types of cover and services to meet client needs for their operations whilst recognising broker preferences - wherever they are around the world. Unlike generic coverage options, we understand the unique risks and challenges faced by mid-market clients. We support this with our industry recognised excellent claims proposition.

2.Industry Expertise: We think your insurance should address your specific industry's needs. At Chubb Industry Practices, covering all client insurance needs in Technology, Real Estate, Media, Life Science and Climate Technology, our specialist products and services are designed with client needs in mind, and our in-depth industry expertise enables us to anticipate new risks and adapt our solutions. We have highly specialised teams with deep knowledge and expertise across key sectors. This in-depth understanding enables us to offer industry-focused coverage to mid-market clients, ensuring that their specific risks and dynamics are effectively addressed. Again, this is supported by sector specific claims expertise and risk engineering.

3.Comprehensive Protection: When insurance joins up, there is less chance of policy gaps and overlaps. Chubb provides a wide range of coverages to ensure that mid-market clients are fully protected. By offering a comprehensive suite of coverages, we ensure that mid-market businesses have holistic protection against a multitude of potential risks and losses.

4.Proactive Risk Consulting: Chubb stands out for our proactive approach to risk management. Our team of dedicated risk consultants collaborates closely with brokers and mid-market clients to identify potential risks, implement effective mitigation strategies, and bolster overall risk management practices.

5.Global Service: We believe business insurance should just connect. As a global insurance powerhouse, Chubb Insurance excels in serving mid-market clients with international operations. Our extensive global network and expertise enable them to seamlessly support businesses across borders. Whether a mid-market client is expanding to new markets or requires coverage for overseas operations, Chubb ensures consistent and reliable service, regardless of geographical boundaries.

• .Voted number 1 for Service:  We achieved a five-star rating and secured the number one spot in the ‘Insurance Times Five-Star Rating Report Commercial Lines 2023/24’. Evidence that our customers receive top-tier service across all aspects of their insurance needs.
• A five-star rated professional indemnity solution: With insights gleaned from collaborating with over 1 million UK customers, we’ve crafted a five-star rated value proposition that’s finely tuned to deliver enhanced relevance and exceptional value for our clients.
• Superior claims service: We have a multi-award-winning claims team and have scored five-star ratings for claims for six consecutive years. The team is committed to delivering unrivalled experience and unparalleled excellence. Working with us ensures reliable protection and peace of mind for our clients as we provide swift response times, clear communication, and fair resolutions. This minimises disruption and provide exceptional support when our clients need it most. An approach recognised earlier this year with award wins at the Insurance Times Claims Excellence and the British Claims Awards.
• Consistently high NPS scores: Rated ‘Excellent’ in our most recent NPS score and, according to BIBA are one of only four insurers with a positive metric from NPS.
• A leading name in insurance since 1930: With over 5,000 employees across the globe, our strong reputation and S&P A rated financial strength provides reliability and security to our customers.

Partnership - We’re striving for greater consistency across everything we do, in line with our vision to be the most consistent and innovative risk partner. We strive to do things more consistently than our competitors, whether that’s developing new products around customer needs such as our new global Cyber coverage and new Healthcare and Contractors products, building strong partnerships with brokers and customers, and helping customers build resilience through an active and innovative programme of events, webinars, blogs, reports and risk management guidance.

Service - Brokers tell us they want strong relationships with people they know. With our new UK Regional Heads of Trading now in place, our focus is on ease of trading and our customer first approach. This means that wherever possible we link different policies to form a cross-class package proposition with flexibility across products, so customers aren’t punished on lines of business if the market changes. Local empowerment means our underwriters trade all sizes and complexity of risk, they take ownership and can often give decisions quickly at broker/customer meetings with minimal referring into London. And we’re becoming more responsive to broker needs by doing business in ways that suit them – by picking up the phone instead of relying on email, by visiting broker offices for more face-to-face surgeries, and by listening to the customer’s needs and bringing in our Risk Solutions and Claims colleagues to help our partners deliver a winning proposal.

Risk - We’re focused on helping our customers through the changing risk landscape. Our in-house team of risk management experts speak with brokers and customers every week about tangible risk improvements. For example, the proliferation of lithium-ion battery technology presents health and fire risks – we have published research, risk management guidance and thought leadership articles to raise awareness, and in March 2024 we hosted a lithium-ion webinar to an audience of 849 brokers and businesspeople. To help tackle underinsurance we are mentoring a technology firm through the Lloyds Lab process and aim to provide valuation feedback to brokers and customers later this year. Finally, QBE’s underwriting culture is solution-based to develop long term sustainable risk financing structures. For larger customers this includes the consideration of risk retention, blended programmes and long-term risk financing partnership.

Claims – Our Claims team offers support when it’s needed most and we’re actively putting customer’s needs first through our new Project Managed Claims training programme, giving customers a claims response that works for them, rather than for us. After an incident we ask the customer, “what do you need right now from us?” We listen; we respond to their priorities; and we give clarity in how we’ll manage the claim. This is leading to better results for customers and better feedback from brokers. Also, our proactive rehabilitation service is getting injured employees back to work sooner and delivering consistent financial and wellbeing benefits for customers. Our Special Investigation Unit works hard to protect customers from fraud. And through our award-winning ‘Build Back Better’ initiative we’re working with customers to reduce the carbon impact of commercial property insurance repairs.

Mental health - Mental health issues are the biggest cause of UK lost workdays. Unlike physical health, where there are clear guidelines, there is nothing similar to help employers with the exposures that arise from mental health. To help our customers, we’ve worked with mental health charity Mind to launch QBE Minds in Business - a strategic workplace mental health programme that’s unique in the insurance industry. We’re now working with brokers to roll it out to businesses across the UK. Feedback confirms a mental health proposition is helping brokers to win new business and is giving customers tools that can lead to happier employees and fewer workplace incidents. Following a very successful customer conference in November 2023, 85 large customers have so far engaged with the programme to develop their mental health strategies. 
 

•    We have an incredibly supportive, ambitious and innovative parent company, who know what success looks like working together with brokers

•    We are intensely focused on, and investing in, broker experience, responsiveness and positive broker outcomes

•    We actively listen to what brokers tell us and act on their feedback, this won’t stop – it’s fundamental to our plans

•    We are committed to expanding our broker distribution, bringing more products to more brokers

•    The acquisition of NIG was a transformational acquisition for us and our broking partners, accelerating our growth ambitions

•    We have the foundations in place and we’re laser focused on being  the best commercial lines and specialty insurance company by the end of 2025
 

1.    We’ve redesigned our midmarket business, launching our new platform enabling new business conversations within 2 hours, and bind and issuance within 24 hours.
2.    99% of underwriting decisions made locally – with no Head Office approval required.
3.    Regionally, we’ve expanded our local presence alongside ensuring enquiries are responded to by local underwriters within 24 hours.
4.    Our underwriters are empowered to make decisions, with 80% of Underwriters now writing all product lines, resulting in quicker responsiveness to customers. Instead of multiple enquiries into different people, brokers and customers have a single point of contact.
5.    We offer a wide range of products to cater for businesses. Our refreshed Commercial Combined product has a tailored nature, meaning the broker can work with an underwriter to craft the right cover to best suit their client, by selecting only the covers they need as well as suitable limits.
 

1:Bravo Networks is dedicated: We put independent regional brokers at the forefront of our network, prioritising their needs and supporting their business goals in every possible way. Our commitment to ensuring that all commissions remain with the brokers underlines our dedication to their success and profitability.
2: Technological Innovation: At Bravo Networks, we recognise the crucial role of technology in driving efficiency and cost savings for our brokers. Our significant investments have led to the creation of cutting-edge tools such as Bravo Insights and Bravo Digital Trader:
Bravo Insights: This strategic placement tool revolutionises how brokers match their business with insurer appetites, ensuring they approach the right markets first time. This innovation enhances brokers' efficiency, leading to better market placement and higher success rates. Over 77% of our brokers' business can be appetite matched with their partner markets via Insights, demonstrating huge efficiencies.
Bravo Digital Trader: Our innovative trading platform provides brokers with access to a wide array of products and insurers in a single, user-friendly interface. This platform simplifies the trading process, saving time and resources while expanding market opportunities for brokers.

3:Comprehensive Member Services: Bravo Networks offers an extensive range of Member Services designed to support brokers in their daily operations and long-term growth. Our services include:
•Compliance Support: Ensuring brokers meet all regulatory requirements, mitigating risk and maintaining operational integrity.
•HR Services: Providing expert guidance on human resources management to help brokers build and maintain strong teams.
•Funding and Apprenticeships: Offering financial support and apprenticeship programs to foster talent development within member organisations. We have contributed over £100,000 towards apprenticeships within brokers.
These services empower our brokers to maximise every opportunity and focus on growing their businesses effectively.

4:Flagship Event: Bravo Networks Conference: Our commitment to fostering strong relationships and facilitating business growth is exemplified by our flagship event, the Bravo Networks Conference. As the biggest trading event of the year, it brings together key insurer partners, support services, and providers in one dynamic forum. Over two days, over 750 brokers, insurers and colleagues engage in productive trading conversations and strategic planning, setting the brokers up for a successful year ahead.

5:Dedicated and Passionate Team: Our team is the heart of Bravo Networks, passionately dedicated to understanding and supporting our members. Our Business Development Managers (BDMs) are aligned to each broker, working closely with insurers, placement teams, and member services. This collaborative approach ensures that we provide tailored support, helping brokers to achieve their specific business objectives.

1. Accessibility and Cost-Free Services

At Cobra Network, we ensure our services are accessible to all members by offering a comprehensive package of business services at no cost. We believe financial barriers should not prevent brokers from accessing essential support. By providing free services, we enable every member, regardless of size or revenue, to receive the full range of support needed to thrive. Examples include compliance consultancy, marketing resources, HR support, and our Business Hub, an online repository of guidance and templates. We continually adapt our services based on member feedback, ensuring they save time, resources, and money while adding significant value.

2. Tailored Support for Individual Needs

We understand that each broker is unique, with different life stages and ambitions. That’s why we tailor our support and services to meet the specific needs of each member. Our approach involves:

• Dedicated Strategic Account Managers (SAMs): Ensuring personalised service and attention.
• Direct Access to Leadership: Our CEO and senior team are accessible for any issues, including claims problems.
• Customised Solutions: From a member-exclusive broking desk to developing an E-trade SME solution, risk management solutions, employee benefits, acquisition guidance, and ESG strategy support, our solutions are based on member feedback.

3. Approachable and Comprehensive Expertise

Cobra Network prides itself on being both accessible and approachable. We provide:

• Full Access to Expertise: Members can connect with our entire team and PIB Group colleagues face-to-face, by phone, or online.
• Diverse Communication Channels: Engagement through WhatsApp forums, live chat, help desks, dedicated phone lines, and direct access.
• Community and Collaboration: Member-to-member communication channels, events, forums, regional meetings, and national conferences to facilitate connections with key partners and other members.

4. Genuine and Honest Support

Our team is composed of genuine and honest individuals who share a passion for helping our members. We are straightforward and dedicated, as shown by our hard work on behalf of our members. Whether interpreting FCA regulations, delivering LinkedIn prospecting workshops, assisting with placement queries, or finding markets for tricky risks, we always aim to save our members time, effort, and money. Our non-intrusive approach ensures we are here when needed, allowing brokers to focus on broking and looking after their clients.

5. Empowering Independent Brokers

Cobra Network empowers independent brokers to compete with larger players by leveraging the buying power of the network to negotiate better rates and terms. Our initiatives include:

• Vision Insights Platform: A free data tool providing real-time analytics on placement and business books.
• Strategic Alignment: Facilitating member collaboration for acquisition opportunities.
• Digital Innovation: Investing in technology such as the CobraQuote platform and our Management Information Insights platform.
• Procurement Offering: Delivering cost savings through procurement solutions, including an office essentials procurement platform.

Conclusion

Cobra Network provides accessible, tailored, and comprehensive support to independent brokers. Our understanding of broker needs, our genuine and honest approach, and our commitment to empowering members through innovative solutions and strategic opportunities make us the standout choice for Network of the Year. Our approach and dedicated team ensure our members can compete and succeed at the highest level. The loyalty of our members and our rapid growth are testaments to the effectiveness and value of our network.

.Hedron brokers are partners, not members. Hedron Network is not a club with tiers and broker hierarchies. All of our Partner Brokers are part of a thriving and growth-focused community, where we believe that our strength is collective. The Hedron team works alongside Partner Brokers to support on broker-led goals, building strong relationships that brokers can rely on. 

Hedron is the network for growth. In 2023,Partner Broker GWP grew by 26%. Our teams work hand-in-hand with Partner Brokers to identify and act on all kinds of growth opportunities, whether it’s consulting on placement strategy and supporting market relationships or helping to create more efficient processes that let brokers focus on what they do best.

Hedron offers systems support like no other network. Our dedicated team of Systems Consultants (aka SysCons) are Acturis experts, skilled trainers and full of innovative solutions for very specific broking system challenges. In providing this support to our Partner Brokers who use Acturis, our goal is to help them build efficiency in their business, work smoothly with their chosen platform, and always have the help they need at the end of the phone and in their office when they need it.

The Hedron community is all about relationships. Our insurers and providers are Partners too, and we’re always looking at how we can work together better so that everybody benefits. We want to truly understand our partners businesses to ensure we provide an exemplary service across all the parts of our proposition. That’s why alongside a Business Development Consultant, every Partner Broker will have dedicated contacts and relationships across all the teams they work with. Our events bring the whole community together for valuable discussions not just about insurance, but about business and personal growth – tangible results from great conversations are what it’s all about. 

Hedron support is all about removing barriers. Partner Brokers need to be free to get on with the most important parts of running their business, and creating great outcomes for their customers. We call this taking the grit out of the machine, but you could call it common sense. Partner Brokers see this especially from our Client Money and Broking Desk teams, who take on vital financial and placement support roles in some of the most critical areas of day-to-day broking. With experienced brokers and access to c4.5k products across 136 markets, the Broking Desk is available to all Hedron Partner Brokers.

1. Innovative Technology: Movo Partnership leverages cutting-edge technology to streamline processes, making it easier for brokers to manage their portfolios and enhance customer service.
2. Training and Development: We offer extensive training and professional development opportunities, ensuring that brokers are well-equipped to meet the challenges of the industry.
3. Flexible Solutions: Movo Partnership provides flexible solutions tailored to the unique needs of each broker, demonstrating a deep understanding of the diverse nature of the brokerage landscape.
4. Strong Network: We have built a robust network of insurers and service providers, giving brokers access to a wide range of products and competitive terms.
5. Community Engagement: Movo Partnership actively engages with the broker community, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose, which is vital for collective growth and success.

These points further underscore Movo Partnership’s exceptional support and dedication to the broker community, reinforcing our reasons for winning this award.

1)Our broad proposition is designed to provide comprehensive support to our Network Members diverse needs with services including:

•Business School Training: We offer a variety of courses and workshops to equip Network Members with the skills and knowledge necessary to continually develop their expertise and drive their businesses forward.

•Marketing Consultancy: Our team works closely with Members to understand their unique requirements to help create bespoke marketing strategies using traditional and digital methods that drive success and growth.

•Tech Desk: This offers technical, and wordings support to help Network Members navigate the complexities of policy wordings and claims queries.



2)Our Network's success is deeply rooted in our in-depth understanding of each Network Member's business, a crucial element in their growth journey.

From the moment a Member joins us, we engage in a thorough onboarding process to understand their business, strategic goals, and specific needs to build a complete picture of their operations and aspirations.

Our Business Partners maintain regular, meaningful interactions with Members to ensure we are always in tune with the current and future direction of their businesses.

Members receive customised reports and interactive dashboards that provide actionable insights, tracking their performance and identifying areas for improvement / investment.



3)Our network actively collaborates with its members to help them secure new business opportunities, leveraging the extensive expertise and global reach of WTW.

This unique differentiator provides significant competitive advantages to our Members which includes:

•Access to WTW's Knowledge and Expertise: Whether it's complex risk assessments, innovative insurance solutions, or industry expertise, Members can rely on WTW's expertise.

•Worldwide Offices: Access to WTW provides members with the local insights and global perspective to pursue international opportunities.

•Collaborative Prospecting: When it comes to pitching for new business, Members can draw on WTW's expertise, resources and brand to strengthen their proposals.



4)Our Network operates as a cohesive and inclusive "Business Family," bringing together Network Members, Partner Insurers, and WTW Networks to create a unified and supportive community.

This family-like structure fosters collaboration, equality, and mutual growth, ensuring that every member, regardless of size or market position, has access to the same resources and opportunities.

In our Network, all Members are treated equally, with every member receiving the same high-quality support and access to our comprehensive suite of offerings.

We regularly organise events and activities that bring our collaborative Business Family together to network, share ideas, and explore opportunities.



5)Our Network's partnership with Insurers forms a cornerstone of our Business Family
WTW Networks Partner Insurers offer a range of solutions which include a number of exclusive products for our members. These allow Network Members to differentiate themselves in the market and offer highly competitive and innovative insurance options to their clients.

Additionally, these partners also provide a range of specialised services including risk assessment, claims management, underwriting support, and more.

These strategic alliances empower our Members to offer tailored and competitive insurance solutions, enhancing their market position and driving mutual growth and success.

Ageas - A Powerful Partnership in Personal Lines

Brokers tell us they love it when we deliver products and services that make insurance feel fresh, smart, and valued. We're refreshingly honest about what's possible, and we're appreciated by our broker partners for being realistic. That's vital for a successful partnership, and it's essential if we're growing stable business together.

Personal Lines are just that - personal - and our mutual success depends on working together for a brilliant outcome that meets customers' expectations in new and even more relevant ways. That's why we're Brilliant Together.

• Award-winning excellence: We were recognised as the ‘Personal Lines Insurer of the Year’ for three consecutive years at the Insurance Post British Insurance Awards (2021, 2022 & 2023). This accolade highlighted our consistent dedication to excellence in the insurance industry.
• Broker-focused commitment: With over 85% of our annual Gross Written Premium (GWP) coming from brokers, we’re deeply committed to maintaining long-term partnerships with brokers. We understand that brokers are our vital link to customers, and we strive to support them in staying relevant and valued.
• Innovative capabilities: We’re at the forefront of simplifying insurance, offering award winning claims solutions, online claims reporting tools, advanced fraud detection and real-time pricing through Radar Live. These advancements ensure that we provide efficient and effective services to both brokers and customers.
• Customer-centric approach: Our commitment to delivering available and stable pricing, alongside brilliant customer service, has attracted over 600,000 new customers through brokers in the past year. We focus on building strong broker partnerships and continuously improving our offerings to meet customer needs and expectations.
• Honest and realistic partnerships: We’re appreciated for our transparency and realistic approach to business. By being refreshingly honest about what is possible, we foster successful broker partnerships that ensure mutual success and continuous improvement.  

1. Delivering for brokers in the Personal Lines space: We work in partnership with our brokers to be their insurer of choice. We’re committed to developing valuable, beneficial, and long-lasting partnerships that help brokers grow their business. We do this by giving brokers access to a wide range of products, caring about how we do things, delivering a great service and evolving to continuously meet the needs of our brokers and their customers. We understand the importance of having confidence in a partner and we believe the combination of strength and heart, means we can deliver our personal best to our brokers and their customers, now and in the future.
2. Broker products: We offer brokers a wide range of products for private car, specialist vehicles and home. Our continued focus on pricing sophistication is one way we’re striving to deliver our personal best. Our IHP technology means we can deploy rates faster and more frequently. And our focus on technical excellence is making sure we’re bringing brokers and their customers our best possible rates.
3. Broker service: We’re passionate about service. Our Personal Operations team are here on the phone to support brokers with their day-to-day trading queries, we have an amazing NPS score of 91.5 (Q2 2024). Our brokers have direct access to decision makers and our one call resolution for broker support is 93% (Q2 2024). Our distribution team are our brokers other key point of contact, here to support them throughout the UK. With many years of experience, their aim is to strengthen broker relationship and performance by providing a great service. They're a dedicated team who always keep brokers feeling connected and informed.
4. Taking care of our people to better serve brokers: As a Chartered Insurer, expertise underpins Allianz, and our employee L&D opportunities are extensive. Our numerous training offerings and apprenticeship programmes invest in the industry’s future and we’re ranked 14th in the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List (2023). All this ensures our people are empowered, engaged and knowledgeable, ready to support our brokers.
5. Securing the future of society: Our commitment to ESG is ever-growing. Our suppliers are encouraged to promote repair over replace and through using Green Parts, we’ve saved 250,732 KG CO2 in 2023. 100% of our Building Contractors Network (BCN) use Clearabee. Clearabee divert 97% of waste from landfill. This means we have clear visibility on where our waste is going and allows us to report on diversion from landfill and how much has been recycled. 100% of our BCN, at the end of 2023, used timber purchased from sustainable sources in accordance with the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) for building repairs.

1. We are dedicated to the Personal Lines broker market and are committed to investing in and supporting PL brokers to serve this significant and important segment of customers.
2. We continue to respond to broker feedback to make it easier for brokers to do business with us: We’ve delivered IHP Home and Van into Open GI to support regional brokers, with SSP to follow and continue to invest in FastTrade, where we are now able to underwrite Personal Lines business with a much wider acceptance criteria than ever before, making it easier and more profitable for brokers.
3. We are helping brokers to support their customers, from developing and hosting a series of webinars for PL brokers to help them better understand and navigate important issues such as Consumer Duty, to offering content and prevention advice for customers, such as before a storm. 
4. We have made substantial investments in our PL broker channel, from expanding our Personal Lines broker claims portal so brokers can track the progress of a claim end-to-end our, to widening access to our high new worth products and adding digital capability where our Smart Home product is traded. 
5. We are here for local communities. We’re aiming for a brighter future, by working with brokers to recognise our impact on our environment, communities and society through initiatives such as our Sustainable Business Coach tool and Broker Community Fund, investing £300,000 in local good causes in 2023.

1.Tailored Perfection: Chubb Personal Risk Services sets itself apart by providing exquisitely customized coverage. The commitment to creating personalized policies ensures that clients' high-value assets are protected with the utmost care and attention to detail.

2.Cherished Value: With Chubb Personal Risk Services, clients are guaranteed the full value of their prized possessions. Chubb Appraisals Service conducts on-site inspections, evaluating various factors to accurately assess client's homes and possessions. This clarity brings peace of mind, assuring policyholders that they will receive fast and fair claims service.

3.Worldwide Wonder: Chubb Personal Risk Services transcends boundaries to safeguard assets on a global scale. Its far-reaching coverage ensures that clients' valuable belongings are protected wherever they may be.

4.Exceptional Care: Chubb Personal Risk Services prides itself on its extraordinary claims service. Their responsive team is devoted to making the claims process as seamless and stress-free as possible for policyholders.

5.Empowering Protection: Chubb Personal Risk Services goes above and beyond by offering comprehensive risk management services. Their expertise in safeguarding valuable assets shines through proactive measures such as recommending cutting-edge security systems and providing guidance on asset protection. Voting for Chubb Personal Risk Services is a recognition of their commitment to empowering clients with the knowledge and tools to keep their treasures safe.

1. Flexibility and customisation: We have a team of experienced technical experts alongside wordings which are highly customisable so we can design cover to  exactly suit your clients’ needs. Our insurance is designed to respond to the many different scenarios a high-net-worth client might face.
2. Going the extra mile: Our dedicated claims handlers always start by asking the client ‘What’s most important to them?’. We understand that money can’t always replace a client’s most treasured items, so we can work with a range of experts to help replace, repair or restore them whenever possible. We always endeavour to delight the client.
3. Ease of trading: We aim to make life easy for brokers and clients by giving them access to products like Renovations and Extensions cover, a modular wording that can simply be added and removed when a client carries out building works. We’re also the only insurer to launch a full cycle digitally traded high net worth cover on Acturis with the aim of providing brokers and their clients with smooth, efficient service when getting the cover they need.
4. Superior coverage: High net worth clients have more assets to protect and require specialised coverage that mass market insurers can't offer. Our policy suite is anything but standard and can include coverage for large amounts of jewellery, fine art, motor, travel, personal cyber and multiple properties including overseas.
5. Heritage and expertise: Hiscox has 35 years of experience in high-net-worth insurance, having essentially invented this niche. We have deep knowledge and understanding of high-net-worth clients and their needs. Unlike generalist insurers who may enter and exit markets, Hiscox has consistently offered high net worth coverage without major rate fluctuations. 

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We're in it for the long-term, with a proven long-term commitment to the schemes market

• 30+ years’ experience supporting DA partners
• Platinum Sponsor of the Managing General Agents Association
• UK Broker Awards Schemes Insurer of the Year 2023

Service matters to us, with a focus on building long-term and deep relationships and helping our DA’s to grow profitably

• Dedicated teams that understand the schemes market and work tirelessly to provide excellent support in service, underwriting, claims and risk management
• Regular interaction and constant feedback to our DA partners
• Gold Investor in Customers Award
• Slick and comprehensive new scheme process with quick turnaround on referrals

Our extensive product range and flexible approach

• Huge breadth and depth of risk appetite, which can be wider than open market
• Close relationship with AXA XL and the rest of the AXA Group
• Business resilience & risk management support and guidance

Leveraging AXA’s technical expertise for our brokers’ benefit

• 40+ years of data and claims experience to help our DA’s steer a profitable path
• Training & development, including broker development forums, live learning webinars, face-to-face market briefings, conduct risk guidance
• CSR & ESG guidance, including free access to AXA Climate School, plus practical thought leadership including the Future Risk Report and Foresight Report
• Market-leading conduct and compliance guidance

Our strong relationships with our existing scheme partners

Here’s what they have to say about AXA Schemes:

‘A true partnership across the businesses, with regular, receptive, and open communication being fundamental to delivering on our shared ambitions.’

“AXA Schemes underwriters are always friendly and approachable and do their utmost to support us. Our aims are aligned and there is a genuine feeling that we’re focused on the same objectives to grow our schemes in a sustainable way.”

“Timing is everything and working with AXA Schemes was a great opportunity. By turning deals around at speed and with diligence, AXA Schemes are a real force to be reckoned with. There are few that could keep up with that pace in the market.”

"A partner that is as committed to success as we are. The team continue to deliver to high standards, and it's a pleasure to deal with the individuals."

"Partnering with AXA has been a joy. The team are approachable, supportive and have collaborated with us to bring new products to market via a DA in record time.”

“I found the onboarding process to be well structured, thorough and transparent. What AXA said they would do, they did."

"We’re proud to enjoy a close relationship with AXA, whose excellent reputation is crucial to our line of work."

“As a team we are excited at the opportunities that lie ahead with AXA, and we look forward to working with you in partnership and growing profitably together over hopefully many years to come.

Once again, my personal thanks to everyone that has been involved in this project to get us to this position so quickly. Amazing so thank you!”

• High levels of service delivered via quick and accurate referral responses: We know how important service is to our brokers and their customers so we ensure the broker can make the majority of decisions without referral but when we are called upon, we respond quickly so as the customer doesn’t see any difference.
• The launch of Schemes+: a digital solution designed to give you more control, unlock opportunities and provide efficiencies for you and your customers. Schemes+ means the broker can spend more time growing their scheme and less time administering it.
• Technical expertise: as a well-regarded specialist insurer we are constantly horizon scanning to manage risks, learn from claims and help maintain a profitable book of business. We share this expertise with our schemes brokers to complement the knowledge they have of their customers’ needs. This takes many forms and includes compliance made simple, consumer duty documentation review and improvement plan, risk management, bespoke marketing support and more.
• Relationships are key: each of our schemes has direct access to decision makers and a dedicated team member with regular tailored check points to support growth and address any issues. We also work with brokers to engage them and their customers in our purpose – that better business, can better lives – and help us to give back and support their customers and communities. 
• A track record of success: supporting a variety of delegated and bespoke schemes including those who’ve been with us for over 30 years and those we’ve welcomed back; and we’re growing. 

• Building and Investing in a Schemes team of specialist skills for Brokers   – We are a team now of near 50 ( launched just 12 years ago from nil) that are dedicated resource across all elements of schemes excellence and drive profitable growth and efficiency for Brokers from project management of new Schemes delivery sourced from our Sales team through to accountability of managing existing Schemes with a real focus on data , trends , proposition with our Account Managers on every single Scheme . Our specialisms and investment in roles has evolved recently with our Underwriters where after specific feedback and a proposition day with a spread of customers we launched a Sector focus to drive both staff development as Subject Matter Experts but from a broker perspective investing in them and supporting their knowledge which drives increase awareness of customers' needs and trends ( Sectors , Seminars , Forums ) and means a consistent and intelligent response Brokers have adored . Furthermore, we have invested time and resource across Proposition and non-Insurance services where relevant and now have a bespoke Hiscox Risk Academy for our Brokers to promote for SME’s and more value. We provide dedicated and bespoke marketing consultancy for our Brokers which helps support more brokers wanting to invest more time in Digital and needing support and guidance and driving a better experience for their customers and unlocking new distribution streams. We aim to be the Partner of choice and differentiate our Partnership at a different level. This has achieved incredible results and 7m – 150m estimated in 12 years  

   

• Being agile and supporting the right opportunities intelligently – With the increase in governance and DA costs across our industry we have seen the market increase its threshold for a Scheme and DA usually inevitable, we are no different. Our challenge in growing market and limited resource was to understand how we can remain more flexible for Brokers with the right plan and opportunity albeit sub scale potentially for most markets. Our solution we launched in 2024 was a Schemes Light capability with no DA and essentially an incubator to launch something fit for purpose but in a digital format quickly. We have now launched our first two successfully and plan to execute about 7-10 per year by developing our specific resource around digital and embracing a specialist platform where we build and deliver the whole solution. This we mean we can be flexible more often than our competition and support great plans and intelligent markets quickly and be able to say Yes more often  

   

• Customer Centric and driving accountability – Our sector driven approach matches our brokers expertise and investment in such markets. Brokers are looking for an intelligent response and a market that ideally shares their passion and investment. The best Scheme brokers demonstrate these traits and we need to match and drive each other and the quality of our proposition for today but understanding it needs to also reflect future risks by listening to customers at specific events , understanding claims correlation and new trends quickly but this is only achieved with effort and investment .We now expect our U/W’s to both invest in their career and specialism by more activity with our brokers at events and for us to be holding joint events such as the mock trial in the Sports industry with multiple National Governing Body Executives and driving excellence and understanding of new legislation in a practical manner ( Martins Law) . Brokers want consistency and speed of response and by aligning Sector knowledge and accountability we feel we deliver a more personal service and a closer partnership that supports the best service and proposition for our ultimate customers. Our current Sectors are Consumer (Specialist Kit and Equipment, Hobbies), Professions, Sports Media & Entertainment, Contractors, Real Estate and Health and Wellbeing. We expect to launch a new Sector each year 

• Heartbeat of the UK Broker strategy in 2024 - 2027 – Schemes in a brief period has become one of the fastest growing areas of Hiscox broker channel in the UK and furthermore it now being replicated through our European business intelligently and part of the new Embedded business it is targeting globally. Supercharging Schemes is now in place which is about evolution of what we do and how we do it with our customers at the heart of this. We have and will continue to listen and respond to the challenge and opportunities of more demand for personalisation and alternative distribution methods and working smartly with our broker partners to grow their business and ours. Our investment in people and driving more from our existing Schemes is about focus and commitment and intelligent investments and being creative. Utilising intelligent operational tools and searching for more partners that can help us deliver outstanding insurance solutions and responding when we need to but helping our customers and brokers think about helping customers run a better business and manage their people as a broader service where we see value. We have delivered so much but we need to evolve as we have in an extremely competitive environment. I say to our brokers as I did in 2010 as we were looking to launch our Schemes business, we have no interest in being the biggest, but we should be the best and set a new level of customer (Broker) expectations in the UK Schemes market.  Our retention rate is simply incredible, our ability to help a broker is well known and above all our culture and Team Charter is about setting a high standard and have some real pride in what we deliver to the market and how we do it. Need to constantly evolve as challenge ourselves. 

• A slicker, smoother quote and buy journey: With Allianz, its simple to self-serve via QuoteSME or your preferred software house. We’ve significantly invested in our service model to reduce referrals and remove underwriter touch where it doesn’t add value to serving you, and we’re now quoting instantly on more than 70% of new business enquiries for our packaged products.
• Expert, empowered underwriters: For more complex risks, our expert underwriters are qualified decision-makers, trained to handle your query promptly (with 80% of decisions handled by the receiving underwriter).
• Five-star rated products: Defaqto has awarded our core products with a five-star rating; a testament to the quality of cover they provide for a spectrum of trades. These policies can be conveniently aligned with our speciality and financial lines products, so that customers’ needs are met with one renewal date.
• Expanded appetite: Complete Contractor now has a broader appetite to support you in finding the right cover for your clients and we’ve launched our new Complete Accident & Health product, with more products coming soon!
• Investment in technology: Our digital assistant ‘ARTIE’ is on hand when you need an answer for those quick and simple queries. But we’re still here on live chat, email and phone if you do need help from the team.

1. Central to our purpose, customers remain our primary focus. We proactively protect customer interests and have extended our market-leading capability to automatically detect underinsurance at new business and renewal. We’ve added essential covers to c1000 vulnerable customers, and have addressed over £800m of property underinsurance in the past year.
2. We’ve listened and acted on broker feedback to strengthen regional presence. We’ve strengthened our visibility and responsiveness to brokers and customers by opening 2 new branch locations in Southampton and Chelmsford, and expanding our presence in Glasgow. We continue to develop our offering to help brokers run and grow their businesses including support with L&D, compliance, sustainability and more.
3. We’ve invested in our main strength, our people. We strengthened our team securing key talent and developing capability with 457 underwriting licence upgrades through June YTD, allowing us to better deliver for our brokers and customers.
4. We’re expanding our offering. We’re expanding our proposition breadth to help us better deliver for clients, launching 11 Commercial Lines products over the last year.
5. Here for local communities. We’re aiming for a brighter future, by working with brokers to recognise our impact on our environment, communities and society through initiatives such as our Sustainable Business Coach tool and Broker Community Fund, investing £300,000 in local good causes last year.

At AXA Commercial – SME, we’re honoured to be considered for the Broker Choice Awards’ SME Insurer of the year. This submission highlights our key achievements, innovative solutions, and collaborative approach we support our broker and customers.

Comprehensive cover & solutions AXA SME provides comprehensive coverage and innovative solutions across Property, Casualty, Motor, and Financial Lines, ensuring that our small business customers are well-protected against a wide range of risks.

Continuous improvement & innovation We continually evolve our SME products to meet the changing business environment, such as offering cover enhancements to address the growing presence of electric vehicles in our Motor Fleet product.

Service excellence Our commitment to service excellence extends to our partners and employees. Our average speed of answering calls is an impressive 2 minutes and 9 seconds, and the average response time for live chat connection to an advisor is less than 30 seconds. Furthermore, 60% of our SME team members are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Insurance, and 15% have achieved progression through licensing increases, reflecting our dedication to nurturing talent and professional growth. We have also created a new SME capability role to ensure our broker partners engage with highly skilled individuals.

Risk management Recognising future risks, we have launched free modules for our customers and broker partners to support their transition towards a greener future considering climate change. Additionally, we introduced a free online tool in 2024 to help small business customers assess their fleet risk management and provided easy-to-follow risk management guides tailored for SMEs.

Robust financial competence Despite the challenging and highly competitive market, AXA SME delivered profitable growth in 2023 across both online and offline channels, exceeding customer retention plans and achieving new business performance £3 million above plan.

•    We have an incredibly supportive, ambitious and innovative parent company, who know what success looks like working together with brokers

•    We are intensely focused on, and investing in, broker experience, responsiveness and positive broker outcomes

•    We actively listen to what brokers tell us and act on their feedback, this won’t stop – it’s fundamental to our plans

•    We are committed to expanding our broker distribution, bringing more products to more brokers

•    The acquisition of NIG was a transformational acquisition for us and our broking partners, accelerating our growth ambitions

•    We have the foundations in place and we’re laser focused on being  the best commercial lines and specialty insurance company by the end of 2025
 

1. We are proud to have been voted Number 1 Platform Insurer in the 2023 and 2024 Insurance Times Surveys by our broker partners, also achieving 5 star ratings on both Open Market and Zurich Online - improving our scores in all areas surveyed.   
2. There can be a perception with eTrading that it's a computer says no approach.  We are focused on ensuring that our brokers feel a personal service from Zurich – that is why it’s always an underwriter that our broker partners speak to via live chat, phones or dealing with your platform referrals – we trade with brokers however they want to trade.
3. We want to ensure that brokers receive a great, personal experience when getting in touch with us. Our underwriters recently underwent ‘Being Human’ training which was designed to enable them to easily understand different personality styles to ensure we are giving personal service.
4. Our proactive trading campaigns allow us to outbound call brokers within 20 minutes of them doing a quote with us to demonstrate our commitment to trading.
5. Broker feedback is critical to developing our SME proposition.  Since February this year, we have been saying thank you for each piece of feedback, no matter the score, by donating to Magic Breakfast.  1 in 5 children worry about not having enough food to eat at home & with brokers support, we have donated 20,000 breakfasts.