Claims champion winner explains how award has helped attract new business

Glenn Stevens has revealed that being announced as Insurance Times’ Claims Champion of the Year has been beneficial in helping his team attract new business.

Stevens, who is the senior major and complex claims adjuster at Hiscox, picked up the award in 2023 at Insurance Times’ Claims Excellence Awards, which honours those making contributions to general insurance (GI) claims.

He was crowned champion from a list of five other nominated finalists, including Hannah Anderson from Trinity Claims, Laure Andre from ETA Insurance, Billy Hinken from Pen Underwriting, Jodie Kay from Auger and Phil Maxwell from Unicorn Underwriting.

After winning, Stevens said that he had “no expectations of winning” and it “came as surprise” when he heard his name called.

And reflecting on the win a year later – and just before the 2024 claims awards on 23 May – Stevens highlighted that the award signified recognition not just for himself, but for the entire team at Hiscox.

“As a team, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve the customer claims journey and make their interactions with Hiscox quicker, easier and more personal,” he said.

“I won’t [reveal] any spoilers but just like their needs, the service we offer our customers is always evolving.

“The success [of the award] has been beneficial to everyone, especially my colleagues in underwriting, who often reference my success from last year, which helps them attract new business.”

Claims

As part of plans to enhance customer service, the insurer teamed up with Google Cloud to create an artificial intelligence (AI) model for the London market that can automate the core underwriting process for specialist risks.

The partnership was announced on 13 December 2023, months after Stevens picked up his award.

“Obtaining recognition at an industry level provides a massive confidence and profile boost to not only you [and] your company, but also to existing and perspective customers,” he said.

“It showcases what we do well – understanding our customers and being there for them when they need us most.”

Stevens also emphasised the importance of the claims function within insurance businesses, saying it played a ”huge role in dealing with emotive situations”.

“The claims function can often be overlooked [when it comes to] insurance awards, despite being a key component in any business,” he said.

“It plays a huge role in dealing with emotive situations on a day-to-day basis, as professionals in this role often meet people at their most distressed.”