A LONG-established independent insurance broker has made an ambitious statement of its growth intentions by hiring a senior executive with three decades of experience.
June Lynch, who spent 16 years in senior roles at Uddingston based Kwik-Fit Financial Services and was latterly in charge of the company, officially starts as managing director of Laurie Ross Insurance today.
Ms Lynch says she is excited by the challenge of coming in to the business and has plans to improve the skills of managers and staff at the seven branches across Lanarkshire and Glasgow.
She said: "What is quite refreshing about Laurie Ross is that ability to develop relationships with customers on a face-to-face basis in the local community, really understand what their needs are, make sure you have the right products and develop a relationship with the customer over the longer term. That is quite exciting to me.
"Kwik-Fit is a great business and I was there a long time. I really needed a new challenge and I am very excited by the Laurie Ross opportunity. I think the business has real potential.
"There has been a shift to the internet [in the insurance industry] but there are customers out there who value the type of service Laurie Ross provides and there may be a shift back to that high street model."
Part of the drive to improve the skills of the 30 staff in the company - which provides products in areas including car, van, taxi, home and commercial insurance - will see branch managers studying for a professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Insurers.
Ms Lynch, who trained as an accountant, said: "First and foremost I really want to try to engage with customers in the community and understand what customers we are serving.
"The second part is to make sure we have the right products available to meet customer needs.
"I also want to invest substantially in people to make sure they can offer fantastic levels of service. Some people in the business have already started and we will be supporting them through their studies."
While there are no immediate plans to add to the existing branches - at Cumbernauld, Hamilton, Paisley, Maryhill, Rutherglen, Scotstoun and Shettleston - Ms Lynch does expect to bring additional people into the company.
She said: "We hope to grow the business so by doing that we will have to recruit more people full-time.
"I think our unique selling point is that relationship [with the customer] and the business is supported by a panel of leading insurers so we can offer competitively priced products.
"We want to increase our taxi business in Glasgow as there is a real opportunity to increase our footprint across that sector."
Gregg Ross, who has run the business since 2000, will remain as an executive director to help Ms Lynch drive the growth of the business.
The 36-year-old said: "We want to grow and develop our business and June has a proven track record of success in the insurance broking business.
"I'm excited about the opportunities to develop that she is going to bring to Laurie Ross for our staff, current customers and potential customers.
"We knew each other in a professional capacity and I couldn't think of anyone better to take on this role and drive our business forward."
Ms Lynch stepped down as managing director of Kwik Fit Financial Services, owned by Belgian insurer Ageas and which employs more than 900 in Scotland, in July this year after being in the role for two-and-half years.
Laurie Ross, which writes around £7 million of gross written premiums, was established by Mr Ross's dad Laurie in 1973.
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