Schemes partnership | Brokers

Schemes should be a true partnership

05 October 2021

When it comes to running a Scheme, one thing stands out above all else – the importance of the long-term relationship between broker and insurer.

We understand that Schemes are partnerships built on complementary skill sets, clear communication, and trust, where each party adds its own unique ingredients to create a great recipe for success. We’re in this for the long term – we’ve supported some schemes for over 30 years.

We have an ambition to grow our schemes business so if you’re looking to work with a specialist insurer that truly partners with you to nurture and grow your scheme - then take a look at Ecclesiastical.

So what does Ecclesiastical bring to the table?

We each bring our own specialist knowledge and expertise to the partnership.

You’re there to really understand your Scheme clients, and deliver great service to them.

But what do we offer?

We don’t rely on off-the-shelf solutions - we build bespoke product solutions, and then empower you to offer cover and terms to clients, backed by the rich level of insight that has been developed over the years.

This means you don’t have to expend time coming back and forth to us to cover off day-to-day queries – you’re in control – after all, you’re the expert in your field. This saves you and your clients’ time and money.

We all know that the modern insurance environment is becoming ever more regulated, and that the pace of change is accelerating. It can be a full-time job just to keep on top of the evolving regulation. With our size and industry expertise we can take on the heavy lifting and ensure the relevant information is in place to be compliant.

Our marketing and risk management teams together with our award-winning claims team also help you to target potential customers and serve existing ones.

It's a personal thing, built on trust

All brokers have relationships with insurers. However, the nature of our Schemes business, and the trust we place in each other, means that those relationships are necessarily deeper and stronger.

Just as brokers develop personal relationships with their end-customers – and know and understand their particular needs, and the pains and gains they experience – so we believe it’s vital for us to build those relationships with our broker partners.

The key to this is regular contact points at all stages, and not just Underwriting, but also Risk Management, Pricing, Marketing, Claims, and Regulatory support.

We’ve developed an all-embracing contact strategy, with a dedicated team which looks after your Scheme, a named lead underwriter, and contact with management available whenever you feel you need it.

These relationships are important not just in the early stages, when you’re setting up a Scheme and reaching out to your customers – they’re crucial when you enter choppier waters. For instance, a large claim or some other challenging period might mean you need to come to us for assistance or support. We’re in this together, and that’s a big part of what we’re here for.

If you’re looking for an insurer with a proactive and collaborative approach to growing schemes who truly partners with brokers for the long term – then working with Ecclesiastical could be a great idea.

Meet Antony Osborne

Antony Osborne, Head of Schemes at Ecclesiastical Insurance

Antony manages the schemes areas of Corporate Business, which includes elements of underwriting, pricing, product development and business development, all delivered with the help of a dedicated schemes team.

Previous roles with leading insurers and brokers over a 30 year career have given Antony wide market experience, with a strong focus on developing and managing insurance products that deliver fair value for customer, broker and insurer.

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