Q&A: BIBA Young Broker Ambassador Ashley Mills

Shepherd Compello broker Ashley Mills works across Extended Warranty & GAP, Physical Damage and Residual Value insurance policies. In August 2017 he became BIBA Young Broker Ambassador for London and Central Region. This interview was first published in a special conference issue of the Insurance Times magazine: BIBA Daily Issue 1.

How did you get into insurance?

Like so many others before me I just fell into it! It started with coffee with a friend who is an underwriter, who said I could make a good broker as I enjoyed meeting people and the face to face nature of Insurance. I got my first job at Towergate in the City working in the UK company market. My degree was in politics and international relations and I have always been fascinated by news and events globally. Naturally, I wanted to expand my Insurance knowledge beyond the UK and my next step was working at a Lloyd’s Broker. Shepherd Compello kindly offered me the opportunity to work with clients worldwide in the likes of Australia, Israel, USA, Canada and across Europe, and I haven’t looked back since.

What is your greatest achievement so far?

I am delighted to have been offered the opportunity by chairman James Nattrass to represent the London & Central region as the Young Broker Ambassador. Being invited to the Biba parliamentary reception for the launch of this year’s Manifesto was a particular highlight. My Director Holly Shepherd is on Biba’s International & Wholesale Brokers’ Advisory Board and I would love to follow in her footsteps in the future.

What advice would you give to a young person thinking of a career in insurance broking?

Get to know as many people as possible in the market: you never know who you may come across again. The best thing about Insurance is that everyone always seems so happy to listen and help, and if they can’t, they will gladly introduce you to someone who can!

What changes do you see coming in insurance?

We have already seen a move from brokers and underwriters onto online based platforms and I can see this developing further. Lloyd’s have already introduced a digital claims platform, and I have seen many Insurer’s introduce smartphone apps recently which can only make things easier for everyone moving forward. I would love to think that the move into a digital age for Insurance doesn’t detract from its core values, which for me is being a unique Industry based upon strong long-lasting relationships between the client, broker and insurer.

How do you see your career developing?

I can certainly see myself staying within the Lloyd’s environment as I love the face-to-face meetings with Underwriters and buzzing environment in the Lloyd’s Building. Working with clients globally offers up all sorts of weird and wonderful challenges and I am learning something new every day, gaining knowledge that I hope to pass on to other young brokers starting out in the Industry.

If you have any questions about Extended Warranty & GAP, Residual Value or Physical Damage insurance, you can contact Ashley via email or call: +44 (0) 207 378 4004

Related posts