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What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I’m a speaker and trainer, specialising in helping firms with developing a referral strategy. Everyone loves referrals, but most firms wait for them to drop in their laps, rather than taking a proactive approach. I help build that proactive referral strategy. The company name is Unnatural Success Ltd - so named because I describe myself as an Unnatural Networker. How long have you been a Camelot Expert? 4 months Areas of expertise? Referrals, Networking, Public Speaking Highest/proudest/most recognisable previous role? I was National Director of BNI (Business Networking International) in the UK/Ireland - BNI is the world’s leading business referral organisation. How long have you been doing this subject/area? 20 years What is your company name? Unnatural Success Ltd Do you have a website? www.unnaturalsuccess.com What is your LinkedIn profile URL? www.linkedin.com/in/charlielawson Do you have a blog? https://unnaturalsuccess.com/blog/ Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? I’m working with a professional services firm owner, a small business of 30 or so people. He’s had me helping his big deal guys to network better, but he also has asked me to upskill his entire team (client facing and non) because they all have friends / family / work contacts that they have conversations with every day. I’m working with them to help them all bring business opportunities into the firm. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? Most experts are experts because they have a passion for what they do. I have a passion for the results networking can bring, but as an Unnatural Networker, I really don’t like networking itself. As such, my message resonates with other unnatural networkers. Do you have a favourite quote? “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” —Zig Ziglar Any professional goals for the upcoming year? Successfully build my business past its first anniversary, publish my 3rd book (The Unnatural Public Speaker) And… last but not least, how does being a Camelot Expert help you/or add value to your business? I meet lots of new people, and learn a lot. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

1. What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I am the founding Director of Coach Forward Ltd and specialise in board advisory, strategy, mentoring and coaching. I have deep knowledge of the General Insurance Market, having worked both sides of the fence in board level roles and my aim is to help individuals and businesses move forward faster than if they were to do it on their own. 2. How long have you been an expert of Camelot? I joined in December and as someone new to the world of being self employed, and a very pampered ex-corporate exec, it has been the best thing I have done! Immediately I felt part of a team and less isolated. Everyone was so genuine and understood what you were going through. I received a lot of help as a new expert and still do! 3. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? I have had the pleasure of being involved in 1 road test and remember it was a very impressive partner who had achieved great things and was now looking for support in breaking into the mysterious world of insurance. They had already done a lot of the thinking and collectively we gave them some great feedback. I am very task orientated so for me it is always about – what problem can you solve, how can you solve it, where have you successfully done this before (proof points). 4. Are you a leader or a member of a Camelot Special Interest Group? No, I didn’t even know there were special interest groups…well unless you count Camelot Scotland – we have a few members in Scotland now - myself, Helen Angell, Duncan Leask and Stuart Middleton. We meet for lunch every few months and always offer each other support in what we are doing and generally have a great laugh, usually winding each other up or exchanging pictures of holidays/alcohol on our Whatsapp Group or Duncan showing us his latest footwear 😊. 5. Area of expertise My expertise, and Mastermind subject, would be Personal Lines Insurance. Most recently Customer and Digital Operations, however I have broad leadership experience across a number of functions and I am currently enjoying working with a new start up Brand who are entering the UK Market after a successful launch in Australia. I particularly enjoy standing up new businesses or launching new ‘stuff’ be it products or functions, because I can apply my expertise in its broadest sense and you can see the impact of your work quickly. 6. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role In my previous role I worked for Atlanta, part of Ardonagh Group, and I was Chief Customer Officer responsible for 2m customers across 14 brands. I had an excellent team and we created a ‘voice’ for the customer to be heard and used it to drive change and influence CX. It was a role that involved constant change and delivery - from introducing point of transaction customer insight, AI & ML for tasks and quality checking, transforming digital operations and self service and new product launches. It gave me a high sense of achievement to see customer satisfaction improve and our cost to serve reduce as we made these transformations. It was a challenging role, and I learned a huge amount that continues to influence what I do today. My dream job however was at Sainsburys Bank – I joined as part of the leadership team that set up the insurance intermediary business from scratch for Car & Home insurance, and then went on to run this plus the travel, life and pet business. I saw it grow from nothing to a significant size over the 4+ years that I was there. Working for Sainsbury’s taught me what it really means to put the customer first and creating a strong digital first CX. 7. How long have you been doing this subject/area? I have been in insurance for 34+ years and performed many, many roles in this time that included, the mailroom as an office junior at General Accident, to the boardroom in AXA as Managing Director of Personal Lines Intermediary, and Atlanta as Chief Customer Officer. 8. What is your company name? Coach Forward Ltd What is your LinkedIn profile URL? (7) Karen Hogg | LinkedIn Do you have a blog? No, but I plan to start one at some point called – Powerup Buttercup – it’s a phrase my sisters and I use to describe when we need to create a short, sharp waive – usually work related. It’s about how you find your A+ game with a purpose in mind or you want to tackle imposter syndrome. I did a talk on it with a large group of females in my last organisation and they still message me today about it to tell me how they have Powered Up which makes me feel really proud. But I need to commit proper time to it 😊 9. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects/professional high point that you’ve worked on? I am very proud to have set up my own business after years of working for large Corporates. It is nerve racking to begin with but 6 months on and I feel like I am in the swing of things. I have had some really interesting contracts including, outsourcing operations to South Africa, product and market strategy review for a major brand, helping a start-up with their FCA application and Coaching execs for their next move. In a nutshell – I have been busy and looking forward to a holiday! 10. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? My Unique selling point is my broad experience and expertise in the UK General Insurance Market, my reputation for getting things done and having access to a strong network - super charged by Camelot 11. Do you have a Favourite quote? I often see quotes I love then forget them! But one that always sticks with me is ‘don’t forget the backside you were born with’ which is something my Mum would say if she thought you were getting too big for your boots. It’s very grounding. 12. Any professional goals for the upcoming year? I wanted to be booked for the whole of the first year and I thought – if I just get through the first year that will be amazing. I have worked hard at it and thanks to a strong network I also had some good luck. I still have a few months to go but it is looking promising 😊. I am now working on a 6 months contract, and doing something I have never done before, which is to help an exciting new start up with their FCA application and develop a governance structure for their business. It has been a challenge and on day 1 we received 56 questions from the regulator and 2 weeks to respond! I am delighted to say that after a frantic few weeks and more questions authorisation was given on the 3rd August. A milestone to be celebrated and you learn a lot being thrown in at the deep end! The contract has really developed into something really exciting and is attracting a lot of interest. My 30+ years expertise in general insurance allows me to also help with capacity and investor meetings, setting product and distribution strategy, designing TOM and OD, outsource partners, etc. I often describe myself as a being ‘Jack of all trades master of some’ 13. And… Last but not least, how does being an expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? It has given me confidence and belief that ‘It’ can be done and that I can do it, either on my own or with the help of experts. Through the various Camelot meet-ups, I have had a chance to speak with many experts who genuinely all want the best for each other, and to talk with partners and learn/share my knowledge, which has been a great confidence booster. I have even been asked to share my experience with new experts who are starting out! A lovely compliment. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? My company is called Light The Spark. I help businesses sell more stuff to more people and businesses. I do that in three ways: Direct assistance with business development - connecting clients to people I know in the industry who need, or could use, what they offer Helping clients understand what people and businesses working in insurance need, what is going on in that world, how to approach and talk to them. Helping people come up with new ideas and new ways of reaching people, getting their message “out there”. Working with me on business development achieves results faster and more easily, with greater insight and understanding. It saves clients a lot of time and hassle! I spend a lot of my time drinking coffee (well, Diet Coke or wine, actually) listening to people talk about what they are up to. I find it absolutely fascinating, learn a lot by listening, and am often able to help with ideas or connections. How long have you been a Camelot Expert? I joined at the end of 2021. I was delighted when David Clamp asked me to take on the role of Lead Expert Ambassador in June 2022 - I work (very!) part-time, putting in place events and activities for our Experts, and making sure they get what they want from their membership. Have you been a panel Expert on any Road Tests? I’ve done quite a few since joining Camelot - they’re great fun. It’s a really good way to understand what our Corporate Partners have to offer. It is also very useful when I am talking to my clients! One common theme is that Corporate Partners usually have a product with (for the sake of argument) 100 amazing features - and they are keen to talk about ALL of them whenever they have the opportunity to meet someone. I think that’s a big mistake - it’s too much to take in. My advice is to work out which 3 or 4 features are your USP (Unique Selling Point), the things that will really make a difference - and concentrate on those. You can do the other 96 features once you have someone on the hook. Areas of expertise? Business development, sales, marketing, customers Highest/proudest/most recognisable previous role I think that covers my 10+ years at Hiscox, really! I had three roles while there, and they were all high profile, highly visible roles with lots of direct contact with brokers - that’s how I built up my network. My first role was as Product Head for Emerging Professional Indemnity - where I focussed on understanding what policyholders wanted/needed, and then found ways to bring it to life for them and for brokers. I mainly do this by telling stories, and giving examples of really interesting professions. “Intimacy Co-ordinator” - helping actors navigate sex-scenes on stage/screen - who knew?! Then I was Regional Manager for the Maidenhead office, responsible for a team of underwriters in both HNW and Commercial business. This involved a lot of liaison on a daily basis with brokers, understanding their needs and concerns. After that I became Head of Marketing for both Brokers and Partnerships. Same role - understanding what brokers and policyholders want/need, but working differently to support them. There’s a theme running through what I have done throughout my career, in whatever role and industry, and in what I do now. I try to understand what the retailer/broker wants and needs, understand what *their* end customer wants and needs, and then look for ways to help that retailer/broker achieve their aims - growing my business as a result. In a nutshell, listening, talking, coming up with ideas. How long have you been doing this subject/area? I’ve been working in sales/business development for big names (Procter & Gamble, Mars Confectionery, Pepsico, BBC Worldwide, Hiscox) for 30+ years - but only “fell” into insurance in 2011. So around 13 years in the insurance world - love it. What is your company name? Light the Spark Limited Do you have a website? www.lightthespark.co.uk What is your LinkedIn profile URL? linkedin.com/in/samanthanewman Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? I have introduced one of my clients to several of the networks of brokers and AR’s in the industry, opening doors to senior people and getting them set up as an official, recommended supplier to those networks. I have also facilitated the opportunity for my client to attend the network conferences and events, and helped them create and deliver training to those brokers/AR’s. In another example, I was aware of an insurer with a very specific challenge they were facing - and I knew one of my clients could assist with it. Using my relationship with that insurer, I introduced my client and set up meetings to explore things further, making sure my client was fully briefed/prepared. It’s still relatively early days, but my client is now actively engaged in developing a business opportunity where none previously existed. I open doors for my clients, getting them real and significant business opportunities quickly and effectively that they can then take further for themselves. I “light the spark”. What is your USP? What makes your business approach unique? It’s all about my relationships - the people I know. I spend a lot of time talking to my friends in the industry, understanding their challenges. Often I have ideas that can help - that I give away for free. Why would I not help my friends? Sometimes I am lucky that those ideas “match” with a client for whom I work. The more I talk to people, understand their problems, the luckier I seem to get! Do you have a favourite quote? SUMO: shut up and move on I saw Paul McGee - www.thesumoguy.com - talk at a conference some years ago and loved his approach. Life will always bite you on the bum - when it does, you are entitled to sulk (“hippo time” - wallow in the mud of misery) for a period of time. But keep it short and snappy, then shut up and move on - because after the initial wallow, it gets you nowhere. Love it. Any professional goals for the upcoming year? Make a difference to more people. I do that for my friends in the industry, for my clients, for Camelot Experts, and in my voluntary roles (Enterprise Adviser for a school, Parish Councillor, Home Visitor for a cat charity). Helping people with ideas and connections, getting things done - that makes me happy. And… last but not least, how does being a Camelot Expert help you/or add value to your business? Being a part of Camelot gives me access to lots of lovely people to talk to and meet! I try to meet every Expert when they join - to help them and make sure they get the most from their membership. I love it when I see it work for them, helping them in their businesses. I also get access to all the Corporate Partners, who want help getting into the industry. Some of them have products and solutions I really like - so I have the opportunity to offer them my services to open doors quickly and effectively. That’s really valuable for me. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

1. How long have you been an Expert of Camelot? Three years. How time flies! 2. Have you been an expert on any Road Test panels? I have participated in a number of road tests and they’re great for understanding what the corporate partners propositions are and, in return, to help them better understand how they need to pitch themselves to the insurance market. 3. Are you a leader or a member of a Think Tank(Special interest group)? I’ve participated in a number of Think Tanks that have covered themes such as NED’s and the London Market. I am sure I will be participating in more in future. 4. Area of expertise? Emerging Technology. 5. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? Head of Business Intelligence, Chaucer Syndicates 6. How long have you been doing this subject/area? I have over 35 years of commercial experience across multiple industries, 7 years in the insurance market and 7 years providing consultancy in emerging technology. 7. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? I spent several months working for a fast-paced, Asia-based, InsurTech “Unicorn” (i.e. a startup with a Billion dollar valuation). It was very intense, agile, enterprise which is building on its Asia and US successes to extend its Insurtech platforms into Europe. With a technical team in Asia, business architects in Australia, a primary client’s base spread across Europe and a sales, marketing, legal and project management team spread across Europe and Aisa, remote working was the norm! I’ve been helping a (non Insurance) startup with their Go To Market strategy and helping them to identify market potential, create use cases and case studies and validate their overall digital asset custody proposition. 8. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? As an adviser and mentor to emerging technology startups, and a consultant to larger established organisations, I am able to use my extensive knowledge of what really works. I cut through the hype, dispel the myths and unveil the reality of emerging technology and what risks and opportunities they present. My consultancy company’s brand name is Distlytics. Think of it as distilling the complexity of technologies into clearly analysed and understood capabilities….Distil- lytics 😊 9. Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? One of the things I do is to provide webinars to organisations and professional associations about emerging technologies and the associated risks and opportunities. One organisation received so much positive feedback about a session I ran that they booked me for another….and another! 10. We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? In insurance we’re still encumbered by monolithic, slow moving processes and procedures that firms are reluctant to change for fear of breaking them. We need to accept that any slow processes are, by definition, broken already. In a 24/7, always connected, real time world, customers expect simplicity, transparency and immediacy. It’s time to radically reshape our businesses so they really are ‘customer centric’. 11. Please describe a challenging work scenario and how you resolved it? Working with organisations that are looking to push regulatory boundaries can be, ahem, “interesting” at times. Often they’re trying to develop a new product or service for the benefit of the customer but it doesn’t fit with the regulator mindset (particularly around timescales). For organisations who are looking to deploy innovative solutions it can be frustrating when they want to quickly develop / deploy something but the regulatory hurdles can be considerable. The only solution is to be pragmatic and accept that the approval and review processes will take longer than anticipated. 12. What should everyone be reading/listening to? My default source for news these days is Twitter. Since it was acquired by Elon Musk, it is continuing to extend its broadcast capabilities. Livestreams are a bit glitchy at times but surpass any mainstream media for rapid dissemination of timely information. It also provides access to perspectives around the world that would otherwise be filtered. This does however mean that you need to be ever mindful about the accuracy of some of the items and possible biases in presentation. For industry insights and professional networking, Linkedin remains the de facto platform. Youtube is an excellent learning resource and Tiktok (yes!) is gaining popularity as a learning platform too. I publish short videos on Tiktok and it’s fascinating to see the pace of growth the platform has had. And, unlike Instagram, it’s not just a place for social media influencers to hang out but there’s some great content and livestreams too. 13. Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? ‘Fail Fast’ should not be the aim. The aim should be to try things and if they don’t work then stop doing them, review/revise/learn and move on. If they do work….do them even more and even better! 14. Do you have a Favourite quote? “The rate at which we are adopting technology, both in our personal and professional lives is getting faster and faster. That means that today is as slow as it’s going to be.” - from Rt Hon Matt Hancock, MP when he was Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. 15. Any professional goals for the upcoming year? I’m a fan of lifelong learning and am always keen to continue learning new things. A great way to learn and develop understanding is to teach others and so I will be continuing to provide education on a range of emerging technology topics as that requires me to keep learning about them. 16. Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network? I’ve worked in many industries and have seen what works and, importantly, what doesn’t. I’m able to balance the excitement and enthusiasm of introducing new technologies with the pragmatism and experience to actually make it work. I have both the scars AND the t-shirt! 17. Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? I’m a well known emerging technology evangelist with a desire to drag industries, such as the insurance market, away from the 20th century physical world and into the digital and virtual world of the 21st Century. To achieve that, I can provide the knowledge and expertise on how to do it right! 18. Anything else you think Insurers, solution providers to the insurance industry or potential members would find useful? I have a vision that insurers need to stop selling insurance products and instead provide ENSURANCE services. I believe that people don’t want to pay for something that compensates them if something goes wrong. They want to pay for the assurance that it’s not going to go wrong. Insurance company data and emerging technologies such as blockchain, machine learning and analytics can provide comprehensive risk management solutions. I’d love to speak to others with a similar vision. 19. 2 or 3 tips or give aways that you can give to 1 or more of the following types of businesses. ● Insurance businesses - startup/scale ups - Don’t spend time building a solution and then exploring the market to see if there is a need for it. Ask the market what their pain points are and then figure out a way of addressing them. That’s where Camelot workshops can be invaluable in helping firms understand how the insurance market actually works. ● Insurance businesses - established - Learn what your competitors are doing and then see if you can do it better. Camelot experts have deep expertise of the market and what works and what doesn’t. Tap into their insights. ● Other consultants - As more people move into consultancy they all have the same worries, fears and make the same mistakes. Save yourself some time and anguish and learn from Camelot experts who’ve been through similar situations. 20. Any stats/results to show off your proud moments? My most successful project failure (?!!!!) that I’m proud of was when I implemented a system that led to a 15% reduction in productivity. But it also delivered a 25% improvement in profitability. In essence it allowed sales people to work less by targeting more profitable customers. They loved it! Another great achievement was a £1/2m analytics project that paid for itself within 15 minutes of going live! System went live at 09:00. By 09:15 I had a disgruntled Marketing Director complaining that the data was completely wrong. Turns out he’d actually stumbled across a major fraud with one of our suppliers. We ended up receiving a rebate of over £1m from them. That paid the total cost of the project and meant that the Marketing Director became a major champion of the system. 21. And… Last but not least, how does being an Expert of Camelot help you/or add value to your business? As an independent consultant you always feel that you’re on your own as you’re not part of a team or organisation. Camelot allows you to network with other consultants in a similar position. It provides a great environment of learning and sharing and has a great feeling of community and inclusion. You’re more than just an Expert of Camelot. You’re part of it. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I founded a boutique consulting firm, ARUVI Consulting and support Insurers, Brokers and MGAs in delivering holistic business change that encompasses People, Process and Technology. How long have you been a member of Camelot? I'm in my 2nd year now. Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? I was a panelist on the Xebia road test. I enjoyed participating as this allowed me to help Xebia recognise their strengths and weaknesses via honest feedback. Area of expertise Services we provide at ARUVI include change management, business process management, digital strategy and technology transformation. Change management is key to doing these effectively. We also support Business Process (Re)engineering, project management, business analysis, data analysis, data design, development, testing and training, to name a few. Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role Programme Test Manager on BREXIT How long have you been doing this subject/area - year of experience 17 years plus What is your company name? ARUVI Consulting Https://aruviconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/saranyaamohan/ Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? We prevented loss of European business worth c. £6 billion per annum for a London based Tier 1 insurer by enabling the ON TIME delivery of their Brexit solution. We also helped a well-known building society to improve their defect fix turnaround by 70% and cut down their delivery timeframe by 30%. We accelerated a leading technology provider’s digital transformation by adopting an innovative test strategy and we cut down their execution time by 50%. What is your unique selling point? Our industry knowledge, gained over years of experience, coupled with technology knowledge makes us the best in what we do. Our motto is “business-first”. Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? We turned around a failing project where the client was facing challenges with gaps in scope of delivery, as well as being over budget and was nowhere near completing the project on time. We successfully turned it around and delivered the project by identifying problem areas, filling the skill set gaps, replanning and setting clear expectations. What should everyone be reading/listening to? “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olsen. It’s an excellent book explaining the significance of compounded effort over time. Do you have a Favourite quote? “Is it easy? Nope. Worth it? Absolutely” If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

What is your role since leaving corporate life? Business continuity consultant and the founder of Continuity Strength, a tech solution that provides online business contingency plans for small to medium businesses. Area of expertise Business continuity planning How long have you been doing this? I have been consulting for close to 2 decades - nearly 5 years as helm of my own practice What is your company name? www.ContinuityStrength.com What is your LinkedIn profile URL? https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelleclarke/ Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? Digitized business continuity planning into a turnkey solution - Continuity Strength - used both by small to medium businesses, and advisors who work with small to medium businesses. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? Business continuity planning provides a first line of risk management defence for businesses. Continuity Strength uses a digital approach to remove barriers to preventative risk management. This saves smaller businesses money, time and minimises the impact of costly and unplanned interruptions to their business operations. We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? A number of factors are driving trends that are impacting the industry. With the increase in type, frequency and intensity of disruptions, many insurance players have been unable to keep up with the resulting demand and claims burden. There has been renewed focus on prevention. Factors critical to the success of a preventative approach include increasing policyholder awareness, building their resilience, and ultimately, making insurance utilisation the last line of defence. Policyholders are looking for more value from their risk professionals. They are looking for proactive, personalised guidance in an increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) business environment. Players in the industry are increasingly utilising risk management solutions - homegrown or via partnerships - to quickly strike a winning balance. Do you have any words of wisdom for us or a short phrase that sums up your ethos? Insurance should be the last - not the first or only - line of defense in any comprehensive risk management program. Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network Comprehensive risk management requires the presence and participation of a number of players in the ecosystem. Business continuity planning complements and amplifies the efforts and expertise of others in the industry, from carriers to brokers, agents to advisors. Like members of an orchestra, we all play a role in improving the overall risk profile of policyholders. Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? Continuity plans safeguard business operations and growth: 87% reduced disruptions; 86% improved resilience; 82% faster recovery (Source: CMI report 2013) The number one hurdle for businesses is not being able to bounce back. During the pandemic there was a lack of continuity plans. The second hurdle was insufficient insurance. (Source: Bill and Melinda Gates & Walker’s Legacy Foundation study, 2021) Any stats/results to show off your proud moments? Continuity Strength being named a finalist in the Business Continuity Institute’s Americas awards - the only innovation addressing the needs of small businesses that year! Continuity Strength being accepted into Hannover Re’s Equarium marketplace as a risk management solution for small businesses and advisors to small businesses (eg brokers). Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or give-aways that you can give to 1 or more of the following types of businesses Insurance businesses - established Established insurance businesses are looking for ways to increase awareness, prevention and resilience to improve policyholders’ overall risk profile and reduce insurance utilisation. With their current operating model, staffing and other constraints present hurdles to mounting a comprehensive, personalised response for policyholders. Many are innovating internally or entering into partnerships to quickly provide risk management solutions that drive down insurance costs for the long term. Scalable, digital solutions such as Continuity Strength - combining an actionable continuity plan with educational awareness - are worth considering as an option for SMEs directly, or the advisors (eg brokers or agents) who work with SMEs. Other consultants Consultants are looking to transition from transaction-based services to becoming true trusted advisors to their clients. This entails championing a comprehensive risk management approach that enables proactive conversations about risk, empowered by the right solutions. Digital risk management solutions like Continuity Strength allow advisors to quickly provide business continuity as a service to clients without increasing bandwidth. And… Last but not least, how does being a member of The Camelot Network help you/or add value to your business? As a new member, I’m still discovering the network’s benefits. However, as someone who is not from the insurance industry, the organisation, sense of camaraderie and experts’ openness to collaborate are a definite plus. Do you have a blog or thought leadership article? Forbes (2022): How Businesses Mitigate the Risk of Unplanned Events During Uncertain Times Forbes (2021): For Successful Small Businesses, Resilience Is A Strategy, Not An Option vCita: Business continuity – helping small businesses become truly resilient Capital One: The Importance of a Business Continuity Plan for your Small Business If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

What is your role now since leaving corporate life? I now have a portfolio career – marketing consultant, mentor and NED / board advisor. How long have you been a member of Camelot? For two years Have you been a panel expert on any Road Tests? Yes, I have attended 2 or 3 road tests. I have found them a great way to learn about new businesses who could help my clients, and the solution providers get insightful feedback on their ‘pitch’ to target insurance companies. Areas of expertise? Marketing and Growth Highest/proudest most recognisable previous role? CMO Hiscox How long have you been working in this area? Over 25 years of Marketing experience across multiple industries (Insurance, FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), Healthcare) What is your company name? www.annabelvenner.com Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? In the past 12 months I have become a NED for Foresters Friendly Society and TML Partners (executive recruitment). Recent consultancy projects have included: go-to-market strategy brand positioning, target operating models and campaign development. What is your unique selling point? What makes your business approach unique? Combining consumer insight, commercial understanding, and business strategy to develop levers to drive profitable growth. Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? Securing my first NED role – I work best when I can have a long term relationship/partnership with a business. We need to talk about…? What is, or what should be, hot on the industry’s lips in your view? Customer understanding. I still see/read about businesses who are not focused enough on products and services that customers actually want, and who don’t treat people (customers, employees…) how they would like to be treated What should everyone be reading/listening to? For any marketers, there is a great book ‘The Whole Marketer’ by Abigail Dixon that talks about technical, soft and leadership skills, and personal understanding Why are you such an asset to the industry & the network? I have an outstanding record of driving business growth and profitability across multiple sectors. I have contributed to short & longer term growth-focused strategies of complex multi billion dollar organisations, as well as startups/SMEs Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? I believe that the contribution that marketing can make is still undervalued in many organisations. Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or give aways that you can give to 1 or more of the following types of businesses Insurance businesses - established There is value in getting a different & fresh perspective on your challenges from outside your organisation. Other consultants Don’t underestimate the importance of networking - the time you need to give to it! And… Last but not least, how does being a member of The Camelot Network help you/or add value to your business? Camelot is a great network of smart, like-minded people with a common purpose. There are a large range of different perspectives, within a fantastic group of people. They are always happy to offer advice or solutions to problems. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

Meet Camelot Expert…Pete King, previously Managing Director, Central and Eastern Europe for AIG and now Chief Financial Officer for Press Room and Managing Director of Balkan Xchange. Pete has 20+ years’ experience in the insurance industry, holding various leadership positions Read below to find out more! What is your role now since leaving corporate life? Balkan Xchange – working with companies to develop their proposition for entering new markets and helping them understand global risks. Are you a leader or a member of a Camelot Think Tank? I am a member of the Sustainability Think Tank. It’s interesting to look at it from an insurance perspective. I mentor some sustainable startups - understanding how people are thinking about this topic in different ways really inspires me and makes me realise insurance still has some way to go. Areas of expertise? Global Insurance Programmes Proposition development Entering new markets Highest/proudest/most recognizable previous role? Managing Director, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) at AIG. How long have you been doing this subject/area? I have 20 years insurance experience, and I have been entering new markets with new strategies for 10 years. Please can you provide some examples of recent projects that you’ve worked on? I have been working with a Croatian startup on their proposition including, fundraising, developing their strategy to help them scale across the markets, and most importantly their go-to-market strategy. Insurtech in CEE is a relatively new concept. There is a lack of disruption from tech and there are still tied agents that dominate with traditional insurers and little innovation. What is your unique selling point? I have a unique combination of London Market experience combined with expertise in launching propositions across Europe, plus connections and the ability to provide local insight. Can you name one professional high point from the last 12 months and what made it so good? I brought someone onboard to help support me - in only six months they have developed exponentially; with no insurance background, they have picked up so much in such a short space of time. We need to talk about…? Investment bias - whether it’s female founders or founders in CEE. Gender bias investment is a BIG thing (I have lots of stats - always happy to share and discuss over coffee!) We see that same bias across CEE. Do you have any words of wisdom? Live life without regrets - take risks. Short and simple. Do you have a favourite quote? Just do it!! Any professional goals for the upcoming year? Make an impact. This comes in many forms - whether through my mentoring of sustainability startups or working with organisations such as Lumus Collective and Women of Impact. Why are you such an asset to the industry & The Camelot Network? I took a risk and spent a lot of my time in the Western Balkans and CEE to build out my own network and create connections from the CEE (a region that has a varied view on the UK) to the UK. I want to use that knowledge to create opportunities for others. Why does your area of expertise need to be spotlighted? The UK is seen as a world leader in the insurance space - it’s so easy to just focus on business development in the UK, but you could be missing out on opportunities. We should ask ourselves - how can we make the most out of the UK being a leader in the insurance space? How can we extend and maximise opportunities by thinking outside of the UK? Most importantly what are 2 or 3 tips or give-aways that you can offer the following types of businesses? Solution providers to the insurance industries Qualify the right prospects that fit your solution Make sure you understand how your solution fits the specific needs of the prospect Insurance businesses - startup/scale ups Stay focused on the execution Keep it simple - don’t over complicate, as successful businesses are those that successfully execute on their strategy Insurance businesses – established Make sure you have the right people who really understand innovation Consider what simple, low-cost tech is out there that could benefit your business. Expensive, large-scale tech projects often do not meet objectives, and can mean lots of effort and money spent without delivery of results. Other consultants You may work on your own but collectively we are a network and we are all in this together. Others will have gone through the highs and lows, so don’t be frightened to share your challenges and ask for advice. Last but not least, how does being a member of The Camelot Network help you/or add value to your business? It gives me a sense of being part of something. I have learnt so much and I get to experience so many different perspectives - I am thankful to be part of such a wonderful community. If you’d like to network with our members, register for our next Camelot Connect

The insurance industry has the tremendous opportunity to be innovative and dynamic in meeting the needs of its customers. Traditionally it is sometimes known for being stable and perhaps a little bit dusty and old fashioned which is exactly why the right innovative project could set your business ahead of the competition in what is a crowded marketplace.   Five Steps to Innovation Being innovative can be as simple as a single idea but developing that idea into something that will be viable takes a little bit of work. Here are five steps to getting the discussions started on innovative projects. 1. Viable Proposition – Being truly innovative doesn’t need to be a big gesture, it just means doing something that your competitors aren’t doing and that your clients want. This is where data analytics is needed to gain insight into both market trends and customer behaviour. This data can be used to guide future products, policies, and innovations. 2. Embrace Technology – We are at an exciting time in regard to technology and you could stay one step ahead of the competition by investing in AI, machine learning or data analytics as a means of streamlining underwriting, speeding up claims processing or making your risk assessment processes more robust. 3. Digital Transformation – Improving online platforms and apps can make it easier for clients to purchase policies, submit claims as well as access up-to-date information on their policies. This as a project could improve the overall customer experience and aid retention. 4. Eco-Friendly Initiatives – With many businesses looking to be more sustainable introducing eco-friendly initiatives could not only be beneficial to the planet and your brand but also for attracting new eco-conscious clients. Such initiatives could be products like green insurance policies which reward certain behaviours. 5. Never Stand Still – In order to remain innovative and ahead of the industry curve it’s important to keep moving. It’s vital to have a team continually assessing performance, market changes, and feedback from clients to maintain your position as market leader. people within your local industry. Through conversation you can get initial impressions as to whether they would be a fit with your business in general or your project in particular. Finding the Right Team No matter where you are on the journey or how small or complex your innovative project may be, having the right team around you can be the difference between a resounding success or a limping failure. There are four primary ways of finding the right skills: · Linked In – Linked In can be a great place for finding skilled industry specialists. Through networking and making connections you can get those vital conversations started. · Networking – Face to face networking can be a great way of meeting skilled people within your local industry. Through conversation you can get initial impressions as to whether they would be a fit with your business in general or your project in particular. · Consultancy Services – Consultancy Services are a popular way of getting a project off the ground as they provide a ready-made team and offer advice on what your company needs to get moving. Unfortunately, you can’t always choose your team or the level of expertise you will be provided which can be challenging. · Camelot Marketplace – This platform brings together insurance professionals each with a minimum of five years C-Suite level experience. This means that you will meet like-minded individuals who have been in the position you are in and offer sound practical advice on the next steps. You could meet the entire skillset required for you to get your new project off the ground all in one place. And if you’re all about innovation, more than 33% of our members are Innovation Experts, and 30% of our experts are skilled in Customer Experience. Just the skillsets you need. If you are ready to get your innovative project off the ground and have identified the skills gaps within your team, then contact Camelot Marketplace . Take the risk out of engaging the skillsets you need for innovation by letting us put you in touch with the people you need for your innovative project to be a success.

All modern businesses like to present as dynamic, cutting edge and innovative in their branding and marketing but this can be a difficult balance to strike with the UK insurance industry. An old industry, it is steeped in tradition and does things the “way they have always been done,” as well as being controlled by compliance and legislation, but this does not mean that it is impossible to be innovative. In fact, this very conservative image is the very reason innovation is important. It’s time to make insurance appealing. Not only would having innovative ideas give your business a competitive edge, and give you market expansion, but it would also improve the customer experience, making them want to engage with you rather than it being a tedious necessity. More importantly, a company willing to be innovative is more likely to be adaptable to changing markets and changing trends which will give you long-term viability. “Innovation enables your business to continue to be relevant to your customers; it must future-proof your organisation, creating a successful and sustainable future.” So what does it mean to be innovative? In such a heavily regulated industry this doesn’t necessarily mean throwing out the rule book and starting from scratch. It means embracing new ideas which will streamline the business and make it more appealing to potential clients. Data Analytics – One clear path to providing innovations which appeal to your potential clients is through careful data analytics to gain insight not only into market trends but also into customer behaviour. This can then be used to guide future products, policies and innovations. Embrace Technology – By investing in cutting-edge technology, AI, machine learning and data analytics you can streamline underwriting, speed up claims processing and have more robust risk assessment processes. Digital Experience – By improving online platforms and apps you can enhance the customer experience, and make it easier for clients to purchase policies, submit claims as well as access up-to-date information on their policies. All potentially outside the traditional 9-5 constraints. Eco-Friendly Initiatives – In today’s changing climate clients are more discerning about who they do business with, so make your business more appealing by developing products which cater to environmentally friendly solutions such as green insurance policies which reward certain behaviours. Employee Engagement – New ideas will never be successful without having the full team on board and this means ensuring staff are fully trained in the new innovations and initiatives, understand the value and are encouraged to share their concerns. Never Stand Still – The key element in being a leader in your industry is to never stand still. Continuously assess performance, market changes, and feedback from clients, and make adjustments to the business to keep ahead of the curve. Breaking the traditions of an age-old industry is not an overnight project, and in order to remain innovative it is also not a one-and-done activity. However, consistency and encouraging discussion of fresh ideas can ensure your business can continue to grow in leaps and bounds. However, making such changes is not something that can be done in isolation and that is why Camelot Marketplace is here to help you get started. In our next much anticipated Innovation Hour hosted by Harvey Wade, on September 29, we bring you Dr Ralph Kerle who will motivate you as well as provide some great starting points. Dr Kerle is a Creative Leadership Coach, a Creativity and Innovation Behavioural Strategist and an Artist and will be discussing the role of creativity in insurance today, as well as the U Theory which is a way for people to think about a blueprint for creative thinking. We also have a network of experts, partners, insurers, brokers and insurtechs who are specialists in innovative ideas and who would be able to offer you the advice you need to get started. To find out more head over to the .

In the modern world, it is easy to become complacent and to do things the way they have always been done, and this seems to apply even more to the very traditional, tightly regulated insurance industry. But, if you want your insurance company to stay ahead of the curve, and to smash your competition you need to be innovative and imaginative. Being innovative doesn’t have to be a major overhaul of your business, it could be the introduction of an app or some new tech that will make the customer experience easier, or it could be to introduce eco-friendly initiatives in order to attract and retain a new group of clients. However, once the viability analysis, market research, budget, and skills gap analysis have been carried out it’s up to you to ensure the right skills, expertise, and advice are available from the initiation of the project through to the launch. The process of outsourcing should be well-planned and managed in order to assure you partner with the right people whose goals and values align with your own. There are some key steps to ensuring you identify the right people to include for the project to be successful. 1 – Define the Objectives Knowing you need to outsource certain skills is just the first step, as this leads to defining the specific outsourcing objectives; are you outsourcing an entire function like customer support or claims processing or is it a project-based function like data analysis or software development which will have a short-term life-span? 2– Collaborations Some projects may be better served by building partnerships with insurtech start-ups, technology distributors, or data providers which can boost your team’s skills and give the project a head start. Collaborations with industry associations or research institutions can also add extra weight and skill to your project. 3 - Referrals from Industry Peers The theory of six degrees of separation is an important one when trying to make connections with the skills and partners you need, as it is likely that someone in your network can make referrals for just the right people. Speak with industry peers, especially those who are working through or have completed a similar project. This can be a valuable means of meeting who you need just when you need them. 4 – Communities The other option is to find a community like the Camelot Marketplace which specialises in the insurance industry and can introduce you to exactly the people you need, with the desired skills without the element of chance associated with traditional networking. When looking to work with others and outsource certain skills, getting started can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack but that is why your first collaboration should be with Camelot Marketplace. We love innovative insurance industry ideas and have a network of just the right people who can provide you with the help, guidance, and skills you need to get started from experts, partners, brokers, and insurtech specialists. Our members have been in your position and come out the other side and are perfectly placed to partner with you.

This article is offered to Camelot members to help you partner with tech/solution providers who are submitting a response to an RFI/P. It is based on input from David Clamp and then this was built on by other Camelot members. All feedback is very welcome - as usual. Context: The vendor typically thinks this is a fairly easy task and underestimates the effort and time needed and also thinks they can "cookie-cutter" the last one to save time. The vendor does not typically do their homework and certainly does not read the questions Due to pressing timelines, small typos or schematic errors are introduced at the final stages RFPs are often submitted late, with additional requested documents submitted even later Vendors never want to say "no" to a requirement Vendors often make comments in initial business development meetings that may be hard to deliver on (i.e. we can build a new product in X weeks, we can integrate into your platform, etc.). Need to be careful not to oversell as you may be asked to contract to your promises further down the process. Buyers often have unrealistic timelines (the world does not actually centre around them) and they often issue the RFP later than they had planned, but with no change to the "reply by" date. Buyers often have a predetermined scorecard/rating system, run by their Procurement dept (depending on the size of the deal). Buyers have internal governance guidelines to follow and many will have a defined risk appetite Larger organisations can be expensive to deal with (contracting, financial stability, due diligence requirements). On a recent call to a major insurer, their digital director advised me that their governance has the potential to ‘bankrupt smaller businesses and start-ups’. Worth considering as a start-up if you are looking to engage with larger companies. Best practice: 1. Strategically: Has the vendor actually worked out what they are selling to their target market i.e. Is this the right opportunity for the vendor or are they just going for anything they can ? Makes a big difference How much do they know about the buying company, the individual's, the rationale/business case, the selection criteria - have they done their homework ? (Often I have found a sales person is overly optimistic and sometimes ill informed) Are they making false or "made up" assumptions (consciously or subconsciously) ? Are the strategies of the Buyer and Vendor aligned? Is there an organisational ‘fit’? Who are your major competitors? What makes your service different? Who do you know within the Vendor? Reach out and see if they are prepared to give you additional context (assuming the process doesn’t preclude you from doing so) 2. Process: Fully understand the rules/conditions of the RFP - e.g. You may no longer be able to contact anyone else from the prospect company apart from one person from the Procurement department Agree upfront who are the stakeholders needed to be involved, especially those needing to sign off the final version of the RFP before it is submitted. Allow sufficient time to construct the response - especially for the last minute "Cookie Cutter" pre-prepared elements of the response are fine and do save time - as long as they are checked that they are correct, answer the question and do not need amending – make sure to remove any references to companies from where you have last used the pre-prepared elements – Check that you haven’t got any marked revisions hidden in the view, I remember receiving one document where the name of the last company they used the section for was still all over the document when you selected the ‘show all revisions’ view. Use the stated naming conventions - e.g. file names, formats of documents Always allow plenty of time for QA activities, rework, stakeholder approvals etc.. Always plan to submit the response early (at least 2 days in advance) and never submit it later than the deadline Put yourself in the position of the buyer and consider what you think their objections may be and think about how you can overcome them throughout your proposal. Focus on positive comments and turn points around to provide positive context (e.g. 80% of customers were satisfied v 20% of customers were unhappy) If you have the resources, bring in someone external to act as an independent QA who can put themselves into the position of the buyer. 3. Content: Answer the question - not what you think the question is - make no false assumptions. But show where you can provide added value. Be specific - less waffle, more details/fact-based responses focused on positive outcomes Use plenty of pictures/graphics/schematics - a picture tells a thousand words - and looks much better than a page of text If, like me, you are not good with pictures, use a specialist designer to help improve how your response looks. 4. Look and Feel: The first page "Exec Summary" must completely nail it - first impressions count so much here. Make sure it is short, sharp, in their language, it says how much you are committed to this and excited by it, you understand their challenge "We get you" etc... Use the prospect's language and naming conventions (for example, I won a marine RFP which included subtle use of marine words, like "navigating the future", "anchoring the business case" etc..) Make sure the covering letter is not rushed at the end....first impressions It is key to give the impression (at least) that the RFP response has been written from scratch, personalised and fully tailored to this opportunity Absolutely no spelling mistakes, different heading formats, odd formatting issues, bad wording - at all (especially in excel sheets where spelling correction is not automatic) Promptly checking that the response has been received ok, any issues, confirming next steps, offering to explain anything that might be unclear etc.. always goes down well (i.e. don't fire and forget) ____________________________________________