A recent visit to Westminster saw the CII New Generation Group pick up valuable advice on how to influence decision makers, as Lawrence Finkle reports.
Each year, the CII showcases more than 40 rising stars from some of the biggest names across the insurance profession in its flagship talent programme: the New Generation Group. Now in its seventh year, the course was created by the CII to help inspire new industry thinking and provide participants with an opportunity to make a difference to the future of their profession.
The course is structured to accelerate the development of future leaders in groups across claims, underwriting, insurance broking and the London market. It is designed to complement existing company talent programmes by not only offering a range of learning opportunities -- from training on leadership and media relations to a 'behind-closed-door' interactive session with the Financial Conduct Authority -- but to provide hands-on experience of working through complex industry challenges by increasing their exposure and access to decision makers both inside and outside of their own company, specialism and industry.
Each group is also tasked with completing a research project typically lasting six months that challenges prevailing industry norms and results in a call to action that improves outcomes for consumers. Previous groups have delivered reports ranging from best practice guidance for the profession on dealing with vulnerable customers, to thought leadership on how the insurance sector should prepare for the impact that increased levels of onshore fracking could have on UK households and businesses.
WORKING WITH POLICYMAKERS
To achieve the type of changes to the profession proposed by the New Generation Group, representatives from the market often need to work in collaboration with policymakers. It was this that was high on the agenda when the group was welcomed at a parliamentary reception in the House of Commons, hosted by the chair of the Insurance and Financial Services All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) of MPs, Craig Tracey. Not only did Mr Tracey recognise the work that had been delivered by the programme to date, while providing an overview of the 'live issues' for the insurance sector that currently occupies the attention of parliamentarians, but as a former insurance broker and advocate for the sector in Westminster, the MP for north Warwickshire was also able to advise the audience on how to bring those agendas to life for decision makers. He added that a desire to understand how he could make a difference to the regulatory landscape in his sector was what brought him into politics in the
first place.
The group also heard from the membership bodies that represent the insurance sector to government, as the CII's Lawrence Finkle and the Association of British Insurers' (ABI) Seth Williams also shared their experiences and tips on how to best to engage MPs -- the CII from the perspective of a professional body in the public interest and the ABI as a trade association that primarily represents the interests of its corporate members. They both drew the attention of the New Generation Group to what works when trying to increase the visibility of agendas in the eyes of parliamentarians and how to make a compelling case for change.
Mr Tracey ended the presentations by encouraging the New Generation Group to contact him directly with any feedback they had about what policymakers could do to improve the sector, while inviting them to participate in the Insurance and Financial Services APPG in future.
To find out more about the past research projects conducted by the New Generation Group and how to apply to the programme, get in touch by emailing new.generation@cii.co.uk or by phoning 020 7417 4438.
Picture credit: ikon