Chief executive believes broker consolidation across UK’s northern regions is giving industry talent greater pause for career thought – and enabling joint venture partnership opportunities
’We must become a leading hub for the next generation of insurance talent and the preferred partner in innovation,’ market states

Insurance Times launched its talent focused Destination Insurance campaign in autumn 2025. The long-term, editorially driven campaign aims to instigate collaboration within the London market and UK general insurance industry to mitigate sector-wide talent related challenges.
The evolving campaign currently includes a one-day annual conference, held in January, and a talent charter.
Michael Reynolds, director of motor fleet underwriting at HDI Global, discusses how deliberate talent development from insurance firms highlights the strength of the sector
’This partnership is an important step in helping ensure that more young people can access professional careers based on their talent and potential,’ says chief executive
January 2026’s one-day Destination Insurance conference was eye-opening for many reasons – but amid the insights gleaned, it is now up to UKGI to walk the talk
‘As automation transforms the industry, 14% of roles and 23% of total headcount are at risk of severe disruption from AI and automation,’ says head
’By developing the platform in‑house, we’ve strengthened our connection with fleet partners and gained deeper insight into their needs,’ says director of motor fleet
’It’s clear the insurance industry is investing meaningfully and competitively in employee benefits, but the message is not always landing,’ says partner
The charter forms part of Insurance Times’ broader talent campaign
‘We are looking to furnish people with the essential skills and professional networks they need to establish successful careers,’ says head
In the inaugural episode, senior leaders from Aon and Brown and Brown discuss routes into insurance careers – and whether a university degree is all it is cracked up to be
Director says that without structured advocacy, ’talented women can remain technically strong but commercially invisible’
‘It’s not about relying on people to be ‘brave enough’ to ask – managers should be given the tools to cultivate their team culture in a way that provides psychological safety,’ says head of diversity, inclusion and community engagement.
Last week’s Insurance Networks Fair – organised and hosted by Empower Development – attracted a full house to the City of London Club, bringing together industry veterans and newcomers alike to promote the networks and clubs that form the backbone of the insurance community
’By giving rising stars access to a great network and high-quality learning, we hope to give brokers’ most promising individuals all the tools they need to get ready for the future,’ says broker distribution director
’Our graduate scheme is designed to enable individuals to develop core technical skills and gain real-world experience,’ says chief technology officer
’Development needs to keep pace with real work and for too long continuing professional development has been seen as a ‘tick box’ exercise with repetitive topics and content that’s hard to fit around busy days,’ says chief executive
’I’m looking forward to working with members and partners to deliver learning that is relevant, engaging and genuinely valuable in helping the sector thrive,’ says appointee
Upskilling and continuous development is not something that should benefit the entire industry collaboratively rather than competed over, say roundtable attendees
Insurance Times rounds up the top five stories making headlines across the market from 16 to 20 February 2026