Editor Katie Scott explains why resilience is still important as the UK starts to exit the Covid-19 lockdown, compared to last year’s pandemic peak
A lot has happened in the last 12 months, as broker responses to our commercial lines and personal lines Five Star Rating Reports verify.
Brokers who were used to pounding the pavements to meet with clients and underwriters were forced to curtail face-to-face contact due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In turn, this has led to innovative new networking solutions, such as Compass and Broker Network’s virtual trading event that was held in March.
Managing director of networks and products Jaime Swindle, who oversees the two networks, told me that brokers are “resilient beasts”.
Journalist David Blackman explores brokers’ journeys in adapting to and flourishing through the pandemic on pages six and seven, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that ‘resilience’ is more than just 2021’s latest buzzword.
Resilience now needs to reflect the hard graft ahead as lockdown incrementally eases – it would be naïve to think emerging and new challenges surrounding the pandemic are at an end just because we’ve been down this route before.
Swindle agreed with this sentiment – she said that as the UK comes out of lockdown, brokers will be able to cement their role as the cornerstone of local communities, acting as the trusted advisor for businesses on a range of different topics.
This view was echoed by Phil Barton, chief executive of Partners& and Nic Brown, sales and marketing director at Markel UK, during our Insurance2025 event last month too.
Resilience is certainly not a short-term concept – based on the last year, brokers need to continue to buckle down and showcase their longevity, despite the ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality brought about by the pandemic.
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