Mistry calls on industry to unite

CII president Ashwin Mistry has issued a New Year unity call to the profession.

In his New Year’s message to the institute’s membership, the Brokerbility chairman called on the profession to unify to resolve the challenges that it faces in 2015, which include the implementation of the European Commission’s Insurance Mediation Directive 2 and the ratification of the Insurance Bill.

Mistry said: “One of the aspects of the ‘One Voice’ message that we will continue to press home in 2015 is best summed up as ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. It is encouraging to see that the profession is coming together to attract new talent and embracing apprentices.

“I’ve said many times we belong to a fantastic industry but one that consistently undersells itself. And now there is growing recognition that we must travel the same path, sing from the same hymn sheet. It is only by uniting that we can begin to promote insurance as the major economic powerhouse it is and feed the stream of new talent.”

He said attracting new talent into the sector will continue to be an important issue for 2015. The CII will be working in partnership with Insurance Times to promote apprenticeships and to provide the market with a better understanding of how apprenticeships work, why they make good business sense and why the CII is ideally placed to drive apprenticeships forward.

The CII said its survey shows top graduates are still not turning to insurance as their career of choice despite increasing awareness of apprenticeships amongst employers in the sector.

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