Hot off the back of our 'Pheonix from The Flames' specials we have another positive blog section we are calling ‘Business Chronicles’. These are short-form blogs where we ask our clients and business acquaintances to pen us a small story of something interesting that has happened to them over the last year. We start these off with James Almond. James talks about himself joining a Local CII Body in 2020, and the achievements that he has accomplished for them covering analysis of the effects of COVID-19 on the industry. If you would like to see this analysis then there is a link at the end of the blog.
A Bit About James:
James Almond is Business Change Manager at the Direct Line Group. He is a highly motivated, versatile and dynamic change manager with over 20 years of experience in the insurance sector.
Business Chronicles
2020 was an interesting and incredibly rewarding year for me personally, it was early that year I decided to make enquiries about joining a local CII Body. Little did I know how my journey would progress!
The CII has always been of interest to me, but through either distraction or other commitments, I hadn’t given any real thought to how I could turn this interest into something more formal. I was very lucky to have Phil Beattie, a friend inside of work ( Direct Line Group ), and conversations regarding Financial Services and insurance has always been something close to our hearts. Through conversations, Phil was able to work through and describe the type of activity and work the council would be involved with and he was keen I took a look at things for myself.
Insurance has after 25 years given a sound career and lifestyle to me and my family, as someone who left school straight after the sixth form, with less than desirable grades, it was a market that gave me a chance and invested in me as an individual. I am and will always be grateful for the platform it has provided me. Whether it's delivering a huge programme, presenting in front of hundreds of people or representing the group's values and behaviours, I am always keen to progress and give something back. This is why becoming a council member was an opportunity I could not overlook, and with a little luck it will help inspire the next generation of Insurance professionals
My first 12 months within the council has seen me attend various virtual meetings, becoming involved in a variety of subject matters and expanding my knowledge considerably. My proudest moment was designing, creating and producing analysis for a COVID-19 survey which was distributed to our local members. This highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on the North West and in particular Merseyside region. The feedback and results gleaned from my work have been greatly received and I hope to be able to provide further support in the future with a similar activity, should an opportunity present itself.
Overall, I’m proud, and happy to be a Council member and building on this past success I look forward to what the next 12 months have in store.