It has been three years since in-person meetings were essentially cancelled for an extended period because of the pandemic; I never want to take attending the annual BIBA Conference for granted and therefore the Burns & Wilcox team are looking forward to this year’s event on 10th and 11th May in Manchester.
We always find BIBA to be a tremendous opportunity for industry education, idea sharing and professional networking. While we all have many ways to connect remotely, there is no substitute for in-person conversations.
The theme for the 45th BIBA Conference is “Rising to the Challenge,” which indeed could describe the daily life of the insurance broker. There’s a reason the “all” in challenge is bolded in this year’s theme. It has indeed been a challenging time in the UK for our industry, from addressing systemic changes caused by Brexit, to the societal effects of record-breaking heat, and of course the lingering impact of pandemic closures in 2020-2022.
For these and other reasons, virtually all insurance sectors are facing challenging markets with limited capacity, emphasising the need for quality, carrier relationships and broker creativity and expertise.
This is why conferences like BIBA are so important for all of us. We in the industry are in this together because we face the same questions and client needs. With that in mind, Burns & Wilcox continues to expand our presence and the resources we offer to meet these ongoing challenges that brokers face.
Here are a few:
Support for Small and Medium Enterprises
This is a really important market sector and one that to date Burns & Wilcox has not served, however we are piloting a proof of concept this spring that includes a customised platform, allowing us to address submissions of smaller sized businesses. The platform will enable us to provide quick and efficient solutions into the SME space. Using this platform, Burns & Wilcox will look to target schemes and affinity prospects across multiple sectors, and we are excited about the opportunities that this will generate.
Finally we believe that this will also open doors for Burns & Wilcox to further strengthen its relationships with capacity providers and brokers, allowing more options for their clients.
New product development and existing product growth continues
Our team welcomed two professionals last year, Jade Knight and Melissa Kalsi, who are experts in the Adult Care Services market.
The Care sector can be challenging, but Burns & Wilcox is committed to rising to the challenge; Jade and Melissa have significant experience in the field and the response from our broker community to this product has been overwhelmingly positive.
In addition we are delighted to announce that Martino D’Aliesio will be launching a Construction Casualty product. D’Aliesio brings a strong network of clients, carriers and construction resources to our team and Burns & Wilcox in turn is investing more in the sector.
New employees will continue to be added to our team throughout 2023 wherever we have a need or see an opportunity as the past several months proved. Subject matter experts continue to lead thriving Property, Professional Indemnity, and standalone Casualty teams at multiple locations.
We value onsite coverage as proven by the opening of our new Bristol office
Last year it was Birmingham. This year it is Bristol. Our latest Burns & Wilcox office opens in May in the South West, with three team members focusing on multiple sectors. The reality is we identified talented professionals who bring knowledge, execution, and client service skills to their roles in and around Bristol, making this new office a logical expansion.
There is no substitute for local “people on the ground” to provide service that our broker partners require.
I encourage you to contact our new Bristol office team; mdaliesio@burnsandwilcox.co.uk (Construction), cball@burnsandwilcox.co.uk (PI), jknight@burnsandwilcox.co.uk (Adult & Child Care Services).
The entire team at Burns & Wilcox UK is happy for your support and the fact that you place your trust in us. Those of you planning to attend BIBA, please contact us. Or set up a time to meet by following us on LinkedIn.
Please know that your trust and partnership is never assumed or taken for granted. We will work to build on that trust every day. Please reach out to me directly with any questions.
Sincerely,
