End of year Newsletter
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Sharing our journey of 2023!
This year has been exciting, with the launching of new systems, and the expansion of our team. We’ve also partnered with new agents and launched new products, supporting our clients in bringing a competitive edge to the market. Our focus this year has been on expanding our offerings and services, to ensure our clients receive an end-to-end service when working with Acasta.
New Product launches
This year there has been a focus on our product range. At Acasta, we provide bespoke products with flexible terms that are designed to adapt to the changing environments that our partners and customers find themselves experiencing.
It is no secret that this year has been a difficult one for most. At Acasta we have been altering our product range, cover, exclusions, and cover limits to ensure that our customers remain protected as the markets evolve.
In addition to the changes to our products, we have begun working with several new partners that provide innovative products to the market. This year we have partnered with InsureTechs, global retailers, bespoke cover providers, and even competitors.
The enhancement of our product and business relationships is a sign of our approach to future growth. Acasta’s 2023 was focused on new partnerships and customer outcomes and as we move into 2024 this will continue.
Our new team members:
Through 2023 we have seen our team expand, with the recruitment of some brilliant professionals.
Audit:
Dhanashree Kulkarni, our Head of Audit, joined after having worked with in both the health and insurance sector for the past 16 years. She oversees the management and operations of the Audit team.
Head of Audit
Head of Audit
Compliance:
Rebecca Macfadyen joined as our Head of Compliance with vast experience in Consumer Credit, Insurance Financial Services, and FCA Regulatory Compliance. Rory Carrington also joined the Compliance team after working as a Compliance Assistant for 6 years. Rebecca and Rory will be supporting the growth of Acasta through the ongoing development of the Compliance function in line with the business trajectory.
Head of Compliance
Head of Compliance
Data and Analytics:
This year Joseph Lees joined Acasta as our Pricing Actuary and leads our Data and Analytics team. His mission is to help expand Acasta’s analytic and pricing capabilities. The team also welcomed Ali Abbas who joined after graduating with a 2:1 Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He currently works as a Junior Data Analyst, gaining experience and developing his skills within the department.
Claims:
Gareth Crosbie joined as the Head of Claims and has over 34 years of experience working for insurers and MGAs leading multi-site teams. Corey Green also joined the Claims Team as the Team Leader, supporting the team with the organisation of the department and the management of workloads. Finally, Carla Shepherd joined the Acasta Claim division this year as a Claims Administrator, developing her expertise in claims handling, and learning from the rest of the department.
Head of Claims AEL & AEICL
Claims Team Lead
Claims Administrator
Underwriting:
Kevin Cheung, Tom Reid, Harry Thompson, Mackenzie Smith, and Muhammad Ayaz all joined our Underwriting Department. Kevin Cheung stands as our Level 3 Underwriter, Tom and Muhammad are our Level 2 Underwriters, and Harry is a Level 1 Underwriter. Our Underwriters manage our product portfolios and work hard to ensure all schemes have the customer forefront in mind and are built to provide value.
Level 3 Underwriter
Level 2 Underwriter
Level 2 Underwriter
Level 1 Underwriter
Head of Sales and Distribution:
Nigel has joined the team as the Head of Sales and Distribution and will be supporting Acasta in taking care of partner relationships and looking to help promote Acasta’s business prospects further. To reach out to Nigel about new business, please email him at nigel.cookson@acastaeurope.co.uk.
Trainee Programme:
This year we launched our Trainee Programme. The programme provides trainees with the chance to work in every department of the company before settling within a team and becoming CII qualified. This allows the trainees to explore the career path they wish to pursue, through hands-on experience.
Mackenzie Smith joined the programme and found a passion for Underwriting. He is now a Level 1 Underwriter, learning on the job, and developing his skills, shadowing Remi Cosgrove, the Head of Products and Underwriting.
Isaac Shaw joined the training program and has since moved to the Marketing department as a Marketing and Operations Executive. Isaac is keen to develop his understanding of the business and the insurance industry to progress his career.
To find out more about our team, visit our team page.
Our new systems:
Acasta has integrated and developed new systems this year, which have helped to streamline business operations and provide better services to our partners.
Our team has worked on designing and building a new Sales Platform. The platform allows for fast and secure data handling, with full API capabilities, and provides an end-to-end service from policy administration to management. The platform offers full white labeling services, from the system interface to client communications and documentation.
Furthermore, our Claims system was also developed to improve process management, provide more in-depth reporting, and better communication with our customers.
Finally, Acasta has also invested in a project management system, which will be integrated for the whole team in the new year. The system will enable our team to communicate effectively on daily operations and large projects to ensure optimal operational resilience.
Events:
This year we’ve attended a few events from conferences such as BIBA, to taking guests to the Six Nations and Silverstone.
The opportunity to attend these events has meant we’ve been able to reconnect with our partners and agents and build on our existing relationships, providing space to generate ideas for the future.
Additionally, we also became a member of the MGMA and attended the MGMA event in London, which provided our team the opportunity to stay in touch with the trends and changes in the market, and network with peers in the industry.
We are proud of everything we’ve achieved this year, and of everyone that joined our team. Thank you to all our partners for a fantastic year and we look forward to what’s to come in 2024.
Keep an eye out for our updates on services and products we currently provide, and any plans we have for the future!
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
