Spotlight on the National Underwriting Centre

Meet three of our highly experienced underwriters

Part of our proposition for the new National Underwriting Centre (NUC) was to provide expert service across all products, from a team of highly trained and experienced underwriters. We also wanted to let you, our brokers, know that you are dealing with real people who know your business.  

We're going one step further now, putting faces to names and shining the spotlight on three underwriters from our fantastic new NUC. This is them "in their own words" (plus a question or two from us!)

Metesh Kakad, Senior Motor Trade Underwriter

Metesh sitting at a desk smiling

I started in the industry straight out of University not really knowing what I wanted to do. The only thing I did know is that I didn’t want to be in education anymore. I started off in a call centre in 2003 servicing home insurance policies. Shortly after, my now wife fell pregnant with our first child which gave me a kick to start thinking about a career and taking life a bit more seriously! After a few years I branched into commercial insurance and was working in a business development role, before moving into underwriting.

I have done most jobs you would do in a commercial branch starting from logging quotes to working my way up to Senior Underwriter within 5 years and haven’t looked back since. We have 4 children now which takes up a lot of my time generally being a taxi service for my children for activities and parties so not a lot of time to do much else!

As a Motor Underwriter, what's your favourite car?

The first poster I had on my wall was a Ferrari F40. The loud looks of the car really drew me into it and is still one of my favourite cars today. I am also a fan of the classics such as the E-type Jag. Another aesthetically pleasing car to look at.

If you hadn't got into insurance, what would you be doing now?

No idea! Maybe I would have joined the circus!! 

 

Louise Evenden, Real Estate and CCI Underwriter

 Louise smiling at her desk

I took the plunge from selling website packages to Insurance in September 2008 when an opportunity came up to join the Broker Support Team at Towergate in Maidstone. I wanted a career change and this position gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door of a new industry, I quite quickly realised I wanted to progress within the industry and I had the choice of underwriting or surveying, I decided on underwriting given my sales background and the underwriting process intrigued me.  I was then given the fantastic opportunity to work in London as an assistant underwriter, where the rest as they say is history! I joined the business in 2012 as a  Commercial Underwriter and I’ve been here ever since. Outside of work I have two little humans to look after and I enjoy family days out and meals out with friends.

As a Real Estate Underwriter, what's your favourite type of building?

That would be a Victorian cottage in Cornwall with sea views.

If you hadn't got into insurance, what would you be doing now?

I’d like to think I’d be earning my millions doing something brilliant but I can’t sing, dance, act or play any sports so in reality I’d probably still be in sales!

 

Phil Venison, Senior Motor Fleet Underwriter

 Phil smiling while busily typying on a keyboard

My seemingly youthful appearance belies my 30 years in insurance which started with General Accident in 1988. Over the years I have underwritten numerous commercial insurance products including Motor Trade Combined, Commercial Combined & Combined Liability, however, Motor Fleet has always been my favourite. Never straying too far from motor insurance, over the years I have been a Fleet Underwriter for several large companies in the industry, including General Accident, CGU, NIG & LV= insuring anything from tankers to mobile fish & chip shops along the way! I joined Covéa Insurance in 2018 as part of the newly formed NUC.

As a Motor Underwriter, what's your favourite car?

The beautiful Lamborghini Countach LP 500S.

If you hadn't got into insurance, what would you be doing now?

If I wasn’t doing insurance, I would like to do something practical like being a plumber or an electrician.

 

-Ends-

 

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