What brought you into the insurance industry?
I had a work experience placement at an insurance company when I was in secondary school. At the time, I was trying to choose my educational path between going to university and becoming a PE teacher or following in my mum’s footsteps and working in the City. I remember the buzz of coming into London and quickly realised I enjoyed the social, fast-paced side of insurance. There were many different avenues to start my career in the City, such as apprenticeships. I found my first job at Atrium as Underwriting Administrative Assistant, which later progressed to Assistant Underwriter in the Cargo & Specie team. In 2024, I took my next career step and joined the Cargo team at IQUW as Underwriter in Cargo & Specie.
What attracted you to Cargo & Specie?
Originally, I thought I’d end up in Sport and Contingency, given my sporting background, but my first role as an underwriting administrative assistant allowed me to spend time across every class of business, giving me a broad view of the opportunities surrounding me.
I have always found history and culture fascinating, which naturally drew me to fine art and specie insurance. There’s something exciting about working with items that are not just financially valuable, but also finding out more about their cultural heritage and historical legacy. It is rewarding to be able to help protect pieces that reflect such human creativity and significance.
Specie insurance is a fascinating area that not many people get to see the detail behind. It’s all about protecting highly valuable items, such as precious metals, jewellery, diamonds, banks and cash in transit. Due to the specialisation of the sector, there are tailored wordings and conditions for the protection of goods in store or while in transit.
How has working in insurance supported your passions outside of work?
I have played cricket since I was 12 – mostly from the influence of my dad and brother. I’ve also been coaching at my local club, from when I was 13 assisting my dad, to later becoming Level 1 qualified. In 2022, I was fortunate enough to get in touch with the Lloyd’s Cricket Club chairman where I have been able to help set up a women’s team. We wanted to create opportunities for women to play and gain exposure to cricket, especially for those who may not have had the chance when they were younger, along with encouraging women who have played before to continue the sport. Continuing after education can be challenging as the pathways for adults can be quite limited.
As a team, we now have fixtures against JP Morgan and many surrounding London clubs who have fully fledged teams. Our main annual event is the Inigo Cricket Day at the Honourable Artillery Company ground – which is the only cricket pitch in the City. We had the opportunity to play the Free Foresters (the minor country touring team) and the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) with an “all star” mix from the tournament.
I am pleased to be able to say we now have over 50 women signed up to the club and are ever growing! I also sit on the Lloyd’s Cricket Club committee as one of the first female members.
What do you enjoy about your role?
Cargo is fascinating because it touches every part of the world, directly impacting people’s lives and playing a key role in humanitarian drives, such as delivering vaccinations. With Specie, I like the connection to art and culture – attending art fairs and galleries is a great perk of the job. One of the more complex aspects of my role is figuring out the value of one-of-a-kind artworks, such as paintings. Recently, I’ve been learning about how gold is mined and processed and how synthetic lab-created alternatives are affecting the value of diamonds.
What attracted you to IQUW?
I’d heard great things about IQUW through peers in the market. So, when I had my interview and met Scott Heeley, now my manager and Lead Underwriter for Cargo, it really confirmed what I’d heard. He was warm, open, and genuinely passionate about the work, the kind of leader you want to learn from. It didn’t take long for me to know this was where I wanted to be.
What stood out to me straight away was the culture – it’s collaborative, supportive, and there’s a real emphasis on helping people grow. Since joining, I’ve been encouraged every step of the way in my development. I’ve completed my CII M90 certification, and I’m now working towards my ACII (Advanced Diploma in Insurance), which has given me a deeper understanding of the industry.
I also love how data-driven IQUW are, decisions are thoughtful and informed, not just instinctive and no two days are the same. One day you’re digging into technical details, the next you’re working on solutions for a global client. It’s a fast-paced environment, but with people around you who genuinely want to see you succeed.
What differentiates IQUW?
IQUW responds quickly, and the team has great market knowledge, which we pool to discuss the best way to manage risk for the company and the client in order to give them the best outcome possible. We’re proud of the broker relationships we’ve built, they’re essential, especially in a shifting market and the feedback we get consistently highlights the speed and quality of our responses. It’s that blend of technical insight, responsiveness and collaboration that I think makes IQUW stand out.
What trends are affecting Cargo and Specie?
In Specie, the value of gold is surging and we’re seeing more excess placements. But this comes with challenges – particularly around theft, inflation, and interest fluctuations affecting high-value items like paintings. In Cargo, growth in certain companies is influencing economies of scale for specific products. At the same time, we’re seeing rating pressure as we move from a hard market into softer conditions. We are focusing on maintaining strong wordings – especially where we have pure Catastrophe exposures – and ensuring we have a well-diversified global portfolio.
What are your priorities and what excites you most about the challenges ahead?
One of the biggest challenges is underwriting in a soft market – which is something I haven’t yet experienced, so I am looking forward to learning and adapting throughout the cycle.
My priorities are to effectively risk manage the portfolio as we look to grow it where we have adequacy. We are gaining traction with brokers because of our excellent service and fast responses – and everyone says we are a great team to deal with. That’s something I’m proud to be part of.
