Leading UK personal lines broker Be Wiser Insurance has confirmed that it has begun consultation with its 280 staff on a business reorganisation programme that will result in some job losses. Be Wiser CEO Jeff Brinley said the business needed to act now to ensure it was in the best possible position to benefit from the anticipated economic upswing later in the year.
“We need to reconfigure Be Wiser now so that we are ahead of the game and ready to make the most of market conditions when the market bounces back,” he said.
“It’s never easy to take these difficult decisions that impact on our people, especially in such uncertain economic times. We will do everything we can to support those affected, including redeployment where that’s possible.”
A full staff consultation process will begin shortly and will last a month. The number of roles at risk won’t be finalised until the end of the month-long staff consultation process, with those affected working mainly in the back office and support functions.
He said that the pandemic had been “challenging” for Be Wiser and for UK broking in general, especially in motor.
“This has encouraged us to accelerate our transformation plans,” he said. “Our top priority is to maintain our reputation for exceptional customer service, and my aim is to strengthen our customer operation for the future. The motor insurance market has been badly hit by this most recent series of restrictions. Our renewals business is holding up well, but new business across the market has been impacted by the fact that fewer people are driving. Re-configuring our business operation will enable us to protect ourselves today in order to grow and prosper tomorrow.”
Be the first to comment