Meet Andrew Metcalfe, SVP, London Market Aerospace
What is your back story?
I had an interest in aviation and through a family connection an opportunity arose to work with a broker. After a while, I moved on to a Lloyd’s syndicate as a claims manager and then eventually swapped into underwriting. This is a rather compressed timeline as I’ve been in the industry for over 35 years now! I have been very lucky throughout my career, having the opportunity to experience a hugely interesting variety of work. Right now, what I enjoy most about my job is managing and trying to drive positive change. When I think about how I found my way into this industry, I believe we could be more proactive in advertising the opportunities that a career in insurance can provide.
Tell us about your market sector.
The last few years have been challenging for the aviation market, and that was before COVID-19. Airlines are under massive pressure and we as insurers need to do everything we can to help. This means going beyond risk transfer and providing liquidity and stability to this market. Ultimately, it’s about delivering a sustainable service and that means effectively matching price to risk appetite.
What’s your USP?
Sompo International places great pride in its underwriting culture, which I think is exceptional. We have a real collegial spirit with everyone pulling together, something I haven’t seen for a long time in other organisations. Although we are a big company with a strong balance sheet, it still feels like a start-up. We are very client orientated, something that is particularly noticeable with large clients who have a wide range of needs – people are always more than ready to jump in and help.
Last word.
The level of technology available to support insurers is at an inflection point;I am fascinated to see where we’ll go from here.