ANDREA SMITH Business finance manager ABI, commercial lines AXA INSURANCE Age: 30
First exposed to the industry while working at Barclays Partner Finance, Andrea Smith was keen to learn more about insurance and eventually entered the industry when she joined Tesco Bank. Looking for a new challenge, Smith joined AXA where her current role allows her to support the business through financial negotiations when securing deals with E-partners and corporate partnerships. Heavily involved in the project to set the 2020 strategic plan for AXA Business Insurance, Smith is also involved in innovative initiatives such as providing financial insight for AXA’s app development. As a result of her efforts, Smith was nominated for AXA’s Finance and Risk Awards Rising Star recognition and was a finalist, along with her team, for the Finance Team of the Year award. Utilising her strong leadership skills and passion for developing individuals, Smith is involved with various charity events from AXA’s Glasgow branch office.
ELIZABETH DEXTER Senior underwriter LIBERTY SPECIALTY MARKETS Age: 30
Over the past four years, Elizabeth Dexter’s efforts have been imperative in helping her team grow premium income by 75% at Liberty Specialty Markets. Promoted to senior underwriter a year ago, Dexter first joined Liberty in 2008, where she started in property before moving to the global financial risk and contingency team. “I was always interested in the competitive and social environment of the city and after spending a couple of summers in insurance, I realised that this was the career I wanted to pursue,” she says. In addition to her role at Liberty, Dexter is currently serving as chairman of Lloyd’s Non-Marine Under 30s, an open society in the non-marine market that brings together young brokers and underwriters through networking, social, educational and charitable events.
ANDY BROWNSELL Commercial director PROTECTIVITY INSURANCE/SPORTSCOVER DIRECT Age: 34
For Andy Brownsell, insurance was a stopgap-turned-permanent career. While working as a fitness instructor and personal trainer, he joined SportsCover Direct and worked his way through sales, marketing and business development before he was appointed to commercial director in 2014. He has led the business to exceed 20% growth in GWP year-over-year
for the past four years, and recently formed an in-house marketing team to keep track of and boost customer experience. A 12-year veteran in the industry, Brownsell is “still as passionate about developing the business and learning more, as [he] was at the beginning”. He welcomes the growth of e-commerce in the insurance space and the increasing use of technology, while recommending that young professionals keep the personal touch. “Understand the customer, their journey and various touch points and develop an online experience that works,” he says.
www.insurancebusiness.co.uk
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