Alan Scott

Name: Alan Scott
Age: 25
Role: Key account manager
Company: Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA)
Degree / University: Business management and languages, Napier University, Edinburgh

Why did you choose the insurance industry?

I joined R&SA for the company it is, not specifically because it was in insurance. I was attracted to the training and opportunities offered, and I believed I could realise my career ambitions. The size and global aspect of the organisation means there are excellent opportunities to be seized - and my own experience is clear evidence of this.

What have you done in your career so far?

I joined R&SA on the graduate leadership programme in 2003 and completed two nine-month placements in the corporate development and strategy team in London and then the national broker sales and underwriting division in Croydon.

After that, I was successfully recruited for the position of manager, international customer management for our group business and moved to the States - I was based in Charlotte, North Carolina for just under a year. My job was mainly focused on the Latin American region, and I completed audits and development work in Brazil, Colombia, Aruba, Curacao, Venezuela, and also Canada and Ireland. Being selected for the role in Charlotte and having the opportunity and responsibility to deliver international customer management development in multiple countries was a real highlight.

I took up my current role as key account manager for the South for Willis Network and Willis Commercial brokers in May 2006. This account is worth more than £10 million and my role is to manage our relationships with clients and brokers - both to acquire profitable new customers and retain key customers by working in partnership with our intermediary channels.

What's the most challenging aspect of your job?

Meeting targets! With the current market situation around pricing I have to negotiate heavily with internal departments to ensure we deliver the best price and service proposition to clients. My approach is to arm myself with as much information as possible from brokers, clients and other sources so that I can present a strong argument for our best offering to the client. I also have to persuade brokers and clients that R&SA is the best solution for them.

What do you do in a typical working day?

Every day is different and brings with it a fresh challenge. I have daily conversations or email contact with brokers and make weekly visits to broker offices in the South region - I have 24 brokers in total in my panel. My job is focused on customer contact and influence, and I have to be prepared to deal with just about any query a broker might throw at me. I manage and make sure that questions are answered and problems are solved to the satisfaction of both brokers and clients.

I'm also responsible for working with and influencing internal stakeholders, for example underwriters, claims, accounts and risk control, and for developing and managing business prospect pipeline clients. Our industry is incredibly competitive and the hunt for new business takes place daily: I work with different internal departments to come up with the best proposition for the client.

What training have you received?

While on the graduate programme, I had a full induction to the company with visits to several of our branches and teams, including Glasgow, Horsham and Birmingham. Since then, as well as ongoing on-the-job training, I've been fully supported to complete my ACII qualification and I'm due to start an MBA in 2007. Other training has included, for example, a three-day strategic influencing workshop.

In addition to this, I gained entry to the company's Talent Framework through an assessment process and I now receive training, support and sponsoring/mentoring from one of the senior directors, which is invaluable for both my personal and career development.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I enjoy the competitive nature of my work and the challenge of meeting targets. With the current market situation around pricing, I have to negotiate heavily with internal departments to ensure we deliver the best price and service proposition to clients, which is very often the hardest part of the job.