Sport

Arthur says he’s always been passionate about sport, so working for broker Miller as an account handler for sports-based clients is an ideal role. “I love sports,” Arthur laughs. “I wish I was a better player but sadly I’m not good enough to be a professional. I still play and enjoy watching games. However, someone’s got to insure the players and that’s what I stumbled across.”

Having studied French and History at Exeter University, including spending a year in France, Arthur applied for a six-month internship with a reinsurance company in Zurich, Switzerland.

Having googled sports insurance, Arthur applied to number of firms in the market, including broker Ellis Clowes. The firm emailed back and asked Arthur for a coffee with one of its managers. Afterwards, Arthur was invited in for a formal interview and appointed in May 2016. Four years later, he joined Miller as an account handler.

“I’m essentially the day-to-day contact for our sports insurance clients,” Arthur explains. “Normally, we deal with the agent or management companies of the players. I get the process started by looking at the risk they face and getting the prices and terms and conditions, then any amendment or handling other questions or issues the client might have.”

Most of Arthur’s clients are involved in motor sport or football. “I look after drivers competing in various championships, as well as a wider scope of insurances for governing bodies and event organisers. It sounded like an exciting space and it’s proved to be just that. We work with interesting clients. It’s event-based so follows the season’s activity.”

Luckily for Arthur, his football clients tend to get busier during the time his motor sports clients are in a quieter period of the year.

“There’s also an element of new business generation,” Arthur says. “I attend events, go prospecting for clients, get the Miller name out there. This year, I went to Le Mans and I’m going to a Formula E event taking place in London’s Docklands, which is a chance to check in with current clients as well.”

After only five years in the specialty insurance market, Rosie Duller has helped launch an exciting new initiative to protect female sports professionals in case they get hurt. “The best thing about working to protect people against different risks is the sheer variety of what I do – no day is the same” she says.

Rosie joined Special Contingency Risk, part of WTW, on their apprenticeship programme after leaving school. “I was being pushed towards university, but a friend pointed me at this opportunity. What really appealed is that you get to start a career, learn about an industry, gain a qualification and get paid at the same time!” In her first year, she was part of the team that helps protect people travelling to risky countries against kidnapping. At the same time, she had one day a week to study for her diploma with the Chartered Institute of Insurance.

Her next move was to the team that offers protection against death and injury when people are travelling on business. “People have to travel for work to some really risky places” explains Rosie. “Film crews that are reporting on war zones, aid workers helping out after catastrophes all put themselves in harm’s way doing their job. We make sure that if something happens, they can be brought home and looked after.”

Most recently Rosie helped to research and launch a protection specifically aimed at female sports professionals. “Women’s bodies work differently to men, and quite often their training facilities and programmes are not really geared up for that. So, I am really proud and excited to have done something that addresses a problem. Recent media attention on the higher number of ACL injuries amongst female footballers, and the Lionesses’ success in World Cup, have made this a super relevant.”

Rosie talks with great enthusiasm about what she loves about working in the London insurance market. “There is a great buzz here, you get to meet so many other professionals, learn from them and work with them and spent time with them socially as well as professionally. You can combine in person with some remote working to get the best of both. You get to travel internationally, I have a week in Miami coming up, and there is never a dull day.”

For a rugby enthusiast like Arthur, the role of professional sports broker is an almost perfect fit. After several years of playing rugby professionally, the 28-year-old former Wasps flanker swapped sports for a business degree and has never looked back.

“Some of the players in my club went into insurance on the broking side,” Arthur explains. “I had a chat with them and it sounded like an interesting industry. Even though I came to it relatively late, I knew I wanted to be on the broking side so that I was dealing directly with the players and clubs.”

A month’s work experience at broker BMS led to a full-time role that lasted several years. From there, Arthur moved to another broking firm Miller to specialise in sports professionals and accident and health insurance.

Arthur helps to service clients who are primarily professional sports players with careers in football, cricket, rugby, tennis and motor sport. The insurance he sells is designed not only to protect a player’s earnings but also to provide an income should an injury end their career.

“We help protect players so that in the event of them having to stop playing because of injury, they will receive a lump sum payment,” Arthur says. “For some sports we can also help in the event of temporary disablement.”

Entire teams can also be insured. Many clubs take protection against the potential for their team to be involved in an accident that affects multiple players – perhaps while travelling to a match.

Arthur spends a lot of his time talking to the companies that sell the policies. “If you’ve got a big risk, its likely you will need the participation of a number of insurers. It’s important to understand what each of them is looking for, you need to think about the best way to get them to take on the risk.”

“It’s an incredibly social job,” Arthur says. “The London insurance market is great. You meet so many people when broking different risks. It’s a great industry.”