CII launches Society of Claims Professionals

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has launched a dedicated professional body for the 20,000 people who work in the claims sector.

Sue McCall, head of claims at Aspen Risk Management, has been appointed as chair of the board of the Society of Claims Professionals. Jeremy Trott, head of claims operations at Allianz, has been installed as its non-executive director.

CII wants the Society of Claims Professionals to function as a forum for the advancement of new ideas, career development and professional qualifications, with digitalisation and how to use data effectively top of its agenda.

CII hopes that the creation of a new society will help bolster public trust in the claims sector, at a time when the insurance industry believes its reputation is suffering.

Trott said of the new society’s formation: “If you ask the average person on the street about insurance they will invariably respond with reference to claims. Claims is the moment of truth for insurers: in the event of a flood or an accident, the public want to know that insurers will be there to help them rebuild their lives.”

“The Society of Claims Professionals aims to strengthen consumer confidence in our sector and reassure the public that we are on their side. We want to hear the views of our members because thought leadership cannot come from a board of twelve: it must come from engaged members who live and breathe claims every working day.”

“When you provide thousands of claims professionals with a platform for outreach you strengthen dialogue and promote new ways of thinking. It’s a win-win for both the sector and consumers, who will ultimately reap the rewards of a more qualified, better informed and more united profession.”

Following the launch of the Society of Insurance Brokers, the new Society of Claims Professionals will be joined later this year by a further society serving the needs of professionals in the underwriting sector.

Mark Dugdale