The C&C Leeds team has just hit the five-year milestone! The Yorkshire-based office is set in the heart of God’s Own Country and opened its doors in the autumn of 2018 when Tom O’Connell became Branch Director. And who better to reflect on the five-year journey so far, than the BD himself? Over to you Tom…
Five years in business – what a ride!! We’ve enjoyed a massive growth trajectory, recently surpassing £12m in GWP, and we’ve hit the ground running in year six, with great growth already, only two months in.
Our business is going from strength to strength and it’s our fantastic team who are at the core of our success. The whole team is dedicated, hungry and eager to develop their careers. It’s amazing to see how some of these guys have developed into highly polished insurance professionals – I’ve really enjoyed being part of their personal journeys.
I can’t sit here and let the C&C Leeds team take all the credit though! The support team in Stockport has been integral to our success and I firmly believe it’s the reason our retention rates are so high. The admin, handling, and compliance teams, some of whom have been with the business for many years, really do understand how important delivering a first-class service is, and their ability to do this makes our job ten times easier.
I’ve also got to give credit to the claims team too. We’re lucky to be working with some of the best in the business! Our ethos has always been: If you look after the claims, the premium looks after itself, and I don’t think anyone does a better job than our claims team. They’re more than just a post box. They’re a second set of qualified eyes going over every claim, leaving no room for error. In a market where claims inflation is rampant, our claims team sets us apart from the crowd.
One of my favourite highlights of the last five years has been building a great culture. (And I think you can learn a lot about building a great culture from working in – let’s say – more challenging ones!) We’ve been careful to protect and nurture our culture at C&C Leeds, and to make the environment a great place to work, learn, grow, and thrive. We’re very much an office that plays hard but works harder. (Now where did we get that from?!) I’ve been impressed by the commitment and work ethic shown by the whole team over the last five years and I’m super grateful for what they’ve done for the business. I think it’s the culture that’s kept people sane through what has been a really turbulent few years.
One of the keys to our success is our approach to recruitment. We’re really, very, very picky! We’re extremely mindful of our culture when recruiting. We might spend three to six months considering candidates because we want the fit to be right for both parties. As the Not On The High Street entrepreneur Holly Tucker famously said, “I’d rather have a hole in my business, than an ****hole!” And I think this is an area that we’ve got very right. We’ve attracted the right talent, for the right roles, and given them the environment and opportunities, to develop and thrive. To become the best versions of themselves.
It’s no secret that we’re fiercely independent. It’s a USP we shout from the rooftops because with all the consolidation going on in the sector, there aren’t too many large independents still trading. It’s our not-so-secret weapon! Business owners purchasing insurance, increasingly want a personal touch. They want a dependable broker who has their best interests at heart, and who gives the right advice, so they can protect what’s important to them. They want to know that when the worst happens, they have somewhere to turn to and someone they can rely on – and there’s no better friend in that situation, than an independent one. We go into bat for every single one of our clients and that’s something I’m really, really passionate about.
We’re also good at breaking the mould – I don’t like the way a lot of archaic insurance brokers work. We like to challenge the status quo and do whatever we can to innovate our industry and pioneer new ways of working, whilst educating our clients and bringing them along on the journey.
I’m super proud that we’ve reached this five-year milestone and I’m really excited for what the future holds.
Thanks, Tom – outstanding! Huge congratulations on building such an incredible presence in Leeds and continuing to expand that presence, against a backdrop of some of the most challenging trading conditions in recent living memory.
Can it be a coincidence then, that the best-selling single of 2018, when Tom first opened C&C’s doors in God’s Own Country, was God’s Plan, by Drake?
Some may say so – but we couldn’t possibly comment!
NB: C&C Insurance Brokers (Leeds) Ltd is an Appointed Representative of C&C Insurance Brokers Ltd
