It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 months since Paul Fielding and Jack Sands joined us to set up our specialist division from scratch. The aim was always to provide a one-stop-shop service for high-net-worth sports professionals and to combine career ending injury insurance with cover for houses, cars and valuables such as watches.
And judging by the evidence, it appears they’ve been rather successful in delivering that aim!
To reflect on this first year, let’s hear first-hand from Paul, our Sports Division Director:
Honestly, I can’t believe it’s been 12 months! But even so, I have a range of standout highlights. The first is that the gamble has paid off! Having been in my previous role for 12 years, I was well-established. I also came to C&C with covenants, so I really didn’t know what to expect or how quickly we could grow our book. There was an element of ‘leap of faith’ about starting from scratch.
In reality, it’s been incredibly gratifying seeing how many people from my distant past have reached out for conversations.
Working for such a large, independent insurance broker as C&C has also been incredibly empowering. It’s provided access to a greater number of insurers and products, as well as allowed us to work with handlers and support teams in other parts of the business. All of which enhances the service and breadth of provision we can offer this niche market with understandably high expectations.
Even so, it’s incredibly rewarding that we’re now eying a GWP of £1M and have more than doubled our original income target! All of which is brilliant, of course, but it meant more hands were needed. So, after 7 or 8 months, Amanda joined us as an Account Handler to help with the sheer volume of enquiries and research we were generating. Full disclosure here – Amanda is my wife, but so far, there have been no domestics and work stays at work!
Neither Jack nor I ever thought we’d need additional support so early into the venture!
There have been challenges, of course, not least that my covenants prevented me from contacting previous clients and introducers. And whilst I reconnected with contacts from years ago, there were no guarantees that those relationships had stood the test of time. But quite often, they had.
More so these days, we’re working through intermediaries such as Agents or IFAs who can be quite price driven. So, a significant challenge can be demonstrating the value we bring. But as we’re able to offer players a full suite of cover, as well as lead on claims handling, having a single point of contact makes us quite an attractive proposition.
Something that I didn’t initially give too much thought to was recognising that we’re genuinely not operating as an island. Previously, I’d been almost totally self-sufficient, and I suppose that’s how I’d set off 12 months ago. But very quickly, we learned to lean on the wealth of talent at C&C. People who have incredible experience and are able to offer invaluable opinions and advice.
I’ve also come to realise that being part of such a large independent broker brings significant weight to discussions. Clients are often keen to hear our advice and recommendations, given our connections within the industry.
But my overwhelming emotions as I reflect on our first 12 months are ones of pride and gratitude. When I look at the success we’ve created and how much we’ve achieved (even with restrictions in place), it’s quite phenomenal. And credit where it’s due. A huge part of this success is down to Jack and how he’s thrown himself into the role. His tenacity in looking for solutions, seeking out new opportunities, and really getting to understand his clients has translated into strong relationships, referrals and renewals. His input, advice and support have been invaluable, so huge thanks to Jack. Likewise, Amanda, whose client-first approach has also made a significant and hugely appreciated impact, with clients and introducers already turning to her directly.
But of course, we always have one eye on what’s next – and there’s plenty more to come! The success of the last 12 months has only increased our hunger for more growth, to seek out more clients in need of career ending injury insurance across more sports, requiring us to find even more players for an even bigger Sports Division team!
Malcolm Cooke, MD of C&C, says: “Paul and the team in our Sports Division are right to be proud of their achievements – I certainly am! It’s been a blistering start for them, exceeding all expectations with plenty more in the pipeline. We’ve picked up some wonderful clients, many of whom are household names – not that you’d ever hear us mentioning them as discretion is as important as delivering the cover we provide. I’d like to thank Paul, Jack and Amanda for all of their hard work and dedication in this first yea,r and I’m looking forward to watching them grow further still this year and beyond.”
