FEATURES
COVER STORY: YOUNG GUNS
JAKE HICKINBOTTOM Broker
Advice
MARSH Age: 28
Founder of the Next Generation Insurance Network (NGIN), Jake Hickinbottom has accomplished a great deal since joining the industry five years ago. Currently at Marsh, Hickinbottom works on the firm’s specie team, focusing on cash-intransit, securities, investor protection and cryptocurrency lines of business. Hickinbottom personally developed a new line of business, cryptocurrency cold storage insurance by working closely with Lloyd’s of London, Lloyd’s underwriters
EMILY SANTER Head of executive office & corporate development AXA UK & IRELAND Age: 27
For Emily Santer, getting to work for a major insurer was an opportunity to learn, develop and grow, while “being able to deliver peace of mind to customers when they most need it.” Just two years after joining AXA in 2010, Santer was asked to join CEO Amanda Blanc’s office as executive assistant and was recently
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and Marsh’s legal team. Hickinbottom established new wording for the product and has travelled internationally to integrate himself into the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Aimed at empowering young professionals, Hickinbottom formed NGIN in 2012 and serves as the organisation’s executive chairman. Focused on bringing together young insurance professionals and helping new entrants into the market, NGIN currently has over 1,500 members, recently launched a mentor scheme, and works with key sponsors to help improve its offerings to members.
“A lot of individuals enter the industry and immediately notice how much could be done to improve the way in which we work. But after a while they stop challenging the status quo and start adapting to the mould. I would say don’t stop trying to make a difference as the industry will need to change and you could be at the forefront of it.” promoted to her current role where she is responsible for managing the CEO’s executive office, which includes contributing to major projects, the strategic planning process, and implementation of operating plans. Her most recent accomplishment is being the youngest candidate in the company’s Emerging Future Leaders talent programme in the last five years. Apart from performing her regular duties, Santer also contributes to the company’s CSR: “Every year, I cajole AXA’s executive team into doing a challenging event to raise money for our nominated charity, Alzheimer’s Research UK. Last year, it was the three peaks, and we raised £37k; this year, it is walking the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.”
JACK HAMMOND Broker AON Age: 25
It’s the people-oriented nature of insurance that drew Jack Hammond into the industry, giving him the prospect of a varied working life. He started out at Aon as a graduate trainee, and is now a fully fledged broker for financial institutions in northern and western Europe, specialising in crime, professional indemnity, D&O and cyber insurance. Early this year, he was on secondment in the Netherlands, and added new business from establishing links with the local Aon office and clients. An active member of the Next Generation Insurance Network, Hammond is specifically involved with its mentoring scheme, and is also part of the Insurance Institute of London’s Young Members’ Committee. Hammond emphasises the need for young professionals to keep networking and exploring to understand the industry better: “Go out and meet as many people as possible. Having a decent network behind you will be very useful in the future. I would also suggest asking to be put on lots of different projects within your firm and department … it will give you an insight to opportunities, which you can then develop and innovate.”
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7/09/2016 10:27:29 PM