Review of the Year 2022: John Warburton, Konsileo CEO

What has been your broking related highlight of 2022?

For us, winning the British Insurance Awards Insurance Employer of the Year. Our whole business is premised on being the place where people can be the “happiest, best rewarded and most professional” brokers and it is great to be recognised for it.

What has been the most over-hyped insurance trend of 2022 and why?

Two trends:

• “The Death of Insurtech” - just because some hype-y ones have failed doesn’t mean that technology led innovation is not going to transform the industry
• “The Death of the Broker” - advice is still valued by clients; brokers will survive as long as broking firms don’t fail to innovate.

What was the most surprising industry event (leader job change/acquisition) of 2022 and why?

Howden/ Aston Lark creating the mega consolidator – think Borg Cube from Star Trek.

What is the one insurance buzzword or phrase from 2022 you would like to see consigned to the dustbin in 2023?

“Re-engineering the book” - this generally means that some PE bosses need a new wing on their mansions and therefore cherished insurer relationships are binned at consolidators.

On a scale of 1-10 how good a year do you think the FCA has had and why?

Nine – we really do have the world’s best regulator and interventions on product governance have been generally sensible. If brokers are on top of their client records and have good systems it is not too onerous and it really can enhance customer outcomes.

How many ‘Dear CEO’ letters are you expecting from the regulator in 2023? Where do you keep them?

Expecting at least three:

• I’m waiting for a follow up one on property owners that really addresses competition and property management company remuneration in the sector
• I would also be interested in receiving one on commission disclosure – some of our competitors take way too much out of the premium pot with anti-competitive remuneration agreements
• Finally, I hope I receive one requiring brokers to make arrangements with claims management companies transparent.

Where do I keep them? I don’t, they will be in the meeting notes for the review meetings we have when we receive one and the project plans for the initiatives that flow from them.

If Santa could deliver the same present to all of your insurer partners what would it to be?

• More underwriters – commercial insurance is a people to people game
• Plus open APIs to their extranets – we would be happy to give them data in their preferred format but don’t really want to discuss it with a bloke called Norman in their IT departments.

Who from the UK insurance sector do you think would be best equipped to be Prime Minister given the present turmoil - and why?

Howard Lickens from Clear – he is the most consummate diplomat and the nicest, most thoughtful man in the industry. Given his Guardian reading, I’m sure he would make an excellent Labour Prime Minister.

Roll on to December 2023, what might have happened over the previous 12 months to have made it a ‘good year’ for you?

Konsileo as Insurance Age Commercial Broker of the Year, BIA Insurance Employer of the Year (again), continuing our doubling in size year on year and leaving even more of our competitors back in the 1980s!

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