NEWS 23
Princely role for Ecclesiastical boss
HRH The Prince of Wales has announced that Steve Wood, managing director for UK and Ireland at Ecclesiastical is his 2010 Prince’s Ambassador in the South West.
Mr Wood has been awarded the honorary title for his leadership and commitment to responsible business in the region. The Prince’s Regional Ambassador is one of Business in the Community’s (BITC’s) Awards for Excellence 2010 and recognises individual leaders who understand that being a responsible business is about engaging with local communities to help them become sustainable, healthy places where people can prosper and thrive.
Mr Wood commented: “This award is a great honour and recognition for the whole of Ecclesiastical. We have been working with BITC for several years now as we realise that they need support to help the communities we work within. They need the commitment and sometimes initiative of local businesses who really want to make a difference in the region.
“In today’s economic climate it is very important that responsible businesses step up to meet the challenges local communities face. There are
real benefi ts here not just to the community, but also to the development and motivation of your workforce. At a personal level I very much welcome the new opportunities and challenges that will come with the Ambassador’s role.”
In a message that was shown at the South West Awards for Excellence event on 10 June in Bristol, HRH The Prince of Wales, said: “Steve is a major advocate for my Seeing is Believing programme – a programme very much after my own heart – and is chairman of the South West Seeing is Believing Network with specifi c responsibility for championing Business in the Community and business engagement in Gloucestershire.
“His consistent application of leadership values in tough economic times has provided vision and direction to projects in the South West and so, for all his efforts, I am delighted to name Steve as my Ambassador for the South West.”
Jo Le-Poidevin, BITC regional director for the South West region said: “We will be developing a programme of ways in which he
Markel relocates to Glasgow
Expansion for claims fi rm Isis
Nottinghamshire-based Isis Claims Solutions is in August relocating from its current premises near Newark, to a new 5000 sq ft offi ce development on the outskirts of Mansfi eld.
By year end, Isis hopes to have expanded its workforce to 40 in order to meet increased demand for its property claims, validation and fulfi lment service.
Steve Wood of Ecclesiastical at the BITC event
can support BITC, our members and prospective members in the South West. This is an exciting time for our regional Ambassador, as he takes up the role in the 25th anniversary of The Prince of Wales’s Presidency of Business in the Community.”
The Prince of Wales selects an Ambassador in each of BITC’s operating regions across the UK, as well as one National Ambassador, who will be announced at an event in London this month.
As The Prince’s Regional Ambassador, Mr Wood will work directly with BITC in the South West to champion responsible business in the region.
Markel (UK) Limited has relocated its offi ce in Scotland from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
The move of its Scottish branch has been made to increase the support Markel can provide to its Scottish brokers, a large number of which are based in Glasgow.
On the back of the move, two underwriters have been recruited to complete the team led by Kelly Costello, the Glasgow branch manager. Stuart Rae joins from Aspen Insurance and will focus on social welfare risks. Michael Bolton, who joins from RSA in Glasgow, will develop Markel’s professional and management risks portfolio.
Ms Costello said: “Although Edinburgh has served us well as a regional base for Scotland, we have relocated to Glasgow as it provides a much better commercial environment and is recognised as the centre of the Scottish insurance market. A large number of our brokers are based in Glasgow and have supported the move.”
Over the past six months, Isis has seen demand for its service increase, particularly in the social housing and broking sectors, where service. In addition, Isis has converted several pilot schemes into full term contracts, delivering greater volumes through its doors.
Unlike other contractor management providers, the company uses a national network of independent claims validators to authenticate, scope, price claims, whilst on site, using Isis’ in-house designed iQuote instant pricing software.
Dependent on the insurer’s settlement preference, Isis will either repudiate, cash settle or arrange fulfi lment – ensuring a swift claims’ resolution and lower costs.
Managing director Andy Williams commented: “Our rate of growth over the past six months has been phenomenal. Insurers are genuinely interested in a fresh claims management approach as it allows them to keep control of the scope and cost of their claims and so avoid leakage.”
He said: “Our offi ce expansion and recruitment drive puts us in a strong position to not only meet the demands of existing clients, but gives us the capacity to deliver service for future ones.”
Isis Claims Solutions is a domestic and commercial property claims management company. It uses a surveyor-led claim validation model, ensuring all claims are independently assessed for liability, followed by independent scoping of the repair schedule.
Its IT systems interact with digital pen and form applications, transferring onsite data to the claims operating system. Jobs either proceed via ACE or if specifi c intervention is required, are transferred to the claims team.
July/August 2010 Insurance Brokers’ Monthly
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