Global CEO Excellence Awards 2020

10 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2020 , Best Insurance CEO (UK): Julian Edwards Jun20259 Insurance is an area of life that many people may not want to think about, but absolutelymust. Livingwithout insurance covering some of themost important areas of daily life canbe dangerous, especiallywhenanything canhappen. However, there arenicheswithin insurance that businesses and individuals have sought to conquer. One of those is motorbike insurance, which has been conquered byMCE Insurance and CEO Julian Edwards. To learnmore about the firmandMr Edwards, we take a closer look. Julian Edwards is the CEO of MCE Insurance (UK) and MCE Insurance Company (Gibraltar), both of which specialise in the expert provision of motorbike insurance across both nations, employing nearly four hundred people around the globe. Having been founder as well as CEO, Mr Edwards understands better than most the journey that MCE Insurance has been to get where it is today. Since their inception, the firm has grown organically and brilliantly to become the number one providers of motorbike insurance in the United Kingdom, offering technical expertise and an excellent customer experience for riders across the country. Operating with highly technical and skilled staff in the UK, Gibraltar, India and the Philippines, the firm is proud to be an independently- owned insurance company. Motorbikes come in all manner of shapes and sizes, and each one is unique to the rider. From sports bikes to scoots, motocross to monkey bikes, MCE Insurance prides itself on understanding what it means to be a motorbike rider on the roads in the United Kingdom today. As a result, the firm knows what riders want and need from their insurance coverage in order to properly protect both themselves, and their beloved bikes. As such, MCE Insurance leaves no stone unturned when scouring the Internet for the best possible deals for its customers. Being a founder and CEO provides a very different insight into one’s business. Having organically started and grown MCE Insurance, Mr Edwards has created, or been part of a team that has created every business division, training programme, structure, product, distribution channel, and service that the firm offers today. Not only has Mr Edwards been responsible for the material aspects to MCE Insurance, but he has also played an integral role in the launching and developing of so many careers. It is the people who work at MCE Insurance that deliver its continued success and stability. Over the years since MCE Insurance was founded by Mr Edwards, his excellence in leadership has grown from strength to strength. He was responsible for creating the diversification of MCE Insurance by founding six highly innovative and successful independent companies. As CEO, Mr Edwards then swiftly acquired these companies and merged their portfolios with the core MCE Insurance business to create the £150m revenue operation it is today. Key to MCE Insurance achieving its goal has been Mr Edwards’ leadership and vision, as well as the firm’s excellent in underwriting and claims. In addition to his role as CEO, Mr Edwards is Chair of Executive Committee, Finance and Investment Committee, Claims Committee, and is a member of Gibraltar Insurance Association (GIA) Motor Insurance Committee. University-educated, Mr Edwards is also committed to ensuring that all MCE Insurance employees have access to educational and professional development opportunities. He introduced an extensive education and qualifications programme throughout the business, from which 178 individuals have graduated with Chartered Insurance Institute qualifications. Mr Edwards’ commitment to education, development, and diversity has extended into his work with local school children, particularly those who have had challenging upbringings. In this role, he encourages them to believe that they can pursue a career in business. The diversity element to Mr Edwards’ excellence come in the form of having MCE Insurance be one of the few businesses in the United Kingdom that has no gender pay gap. This focus on greater diversity, professional development, and workplace equality has seen MCE Insurance win many industry awards over the years. Away from his role as the exceptional CEO of MCE Insurance, Mr Edwards is an active promoter and support of insurtech, having invested in several start-ups, and has most recently acted as the lead investor in the latest funding round held by global insurtech firm, Inzura. As well as investing financially in the industry, Mr Edwards invests intellectually too. As a regular speaker at insurance industry events, he covers a range of topics including people management, diversity and inclusion, financial modelling, and the growing role of technology in the workplace. Back within his role as CEO of MCE Insurance, Mr Edwards has long been knowledgeable around what is best practice for his business, and where its strengths lie. Currently, the firm’s strategic excellence lies in underwriting and claims, but is employing discipline, regular structured meetings, and user-friendly, yet organised governance to stay at the top of an industry that is ever changing. Mobility is changing, with zero emission zones and electric scooters more popular and available than ever before. Commuting for so many is now a distant memory, and the motorbike travel is a popular alternative. However, having the right insurance coverage for that motorbike is still as important as ever, and MCE Insurance is on hand to make it happen. That is not to say however, that Mr Edwards and MCE Insurance have not run into challenges and