Kirsty McKno is stepping down from her role as chair of the Credit Hire Organisation (CHO) after completing her four-year term of office at the trade association.
A strategic board, comprising senior executives from member credit hire companies, will oversee the future of the CHO, following the creation of the trade association’s new constitution.
McKno said: “The strategic board, which takes over on 5 November, is the next step in further professionalising the CHO and will ensure that the trade body continues to lead on behalf of its members during this very challenging period for the claims industry.”
“The board will help connect and align those at the very top of our industry with the daily challenges faced by our members and the hundreds of thousands of customers they serve each year.”
Under McKno’s leadership, the CHO has become more professional, improved governance, and pursued a policy of positive engagement with stakeholders across credit hire, government and the media.
McKno said: “Credit hire is complex and poorly understood by many people in the claims industry, let alone the general public, but it fulfils a vital service for consumers needing mobility after an accident.”
“We have worked hard to educate stakeholders about credit hire. In professionalising the organisation, we have carved out our seat at the claims industry table to ensure our members’ interests and concerns are properly taken account of by regulators, policy makers and officials, as well as insurers.”
She cited in particular the agreement between GTA subscribers to support motor claims during lockdown. The GTA is a voluntary agreement between insurers and credit hire companies on the management of replacement vehicle motor claims.
McKno said: “Signing such an agreement would have been unthinkable five to 10 years ago, but the lockdown showed how closely interconnected we are in the claims industry and it was important to find agreement with insurers so that claims could be settled and customers had mobility.”
McKno intends to continue working in the claims sector, where she is a consultant to a number of companies. She said: “Credit hire is an exciting and fascinating industry and I will be closely involved in its future.”
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