13 Feb 2007

Insurance Day Article - Talent spotter will pluck the market’s ‘rising stars’

As the industry bid to groom careers and retain top performers continues, a recruitment company has launched an insurance talent-finding initiative.

Just days after the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) launched the career service for intermediaries, the online Broking Academy (IDnewscentre, Feb 9), Mansion House Executive, a specialist insurance recruitment firm, has set up its Talenthouse programme.

The scheme involves leading figures from the insurance industry advising a pool of "rising stars". Advisers will include Amanda Blanc, chief executive of UK broking at intermediary and underwriter Towergate, and Charles Crawford, managing director of RBS Insurance’s intermediary and broker business and managing director of its intermediary business, National Insurance and Guarantee.

The programme will give 30 hand-picked members per year access to independent advice and coaching from key industry figures and Mansion House Executive to help them develop their insurance careers.

Marcella Cronin, managing director of Mansion House Executive, said: "We will take top people, either ones we have met or people nominated by their firms or others in the industry. People can even put themselves forward.

"Talenthouse is not about recruitment; it’s about grooming the next generation of senior management for our industry. Our aim is to identify emerging talent within our industry and to provide the platform they need to take control of their long-term career development.

"We hear too many stories of good people considering career opportunities outside the industry where they feel there is more chance to develop and progress. We want to change this perception and focus on keeping talent and moulding industry leaders of the future.

"Talenthouse will, we believe, also work alongside the CII’s excellent work by providing a mentoring facility to supplement members’ studies and adding depth to their continual professional development."

Mansion House Executive is currently running a research programme to identify potential members, who will then be referred to Cronin for suitability assessment.

Cronin added: "While we will be using our market knowledge to identify potential members, we also welcome nominations. We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate high achievement and commitment, and who will benefit from focused, independent advice and access to the network we are creating.

"Talenthouse has the potential to become an important personal development initiative and will help battle against the ongoing skills shortage and talent retention problem."

The programme includes a panel of senior figures from the market, including Crawford, who will act as mentors and provide one-to-one coaching.

"While many insurers run internal personal development programmes, Talenthouse goes beyond this by providing direct access to advice from mentors with a wide range of experience. One of my key concerns is the fact that as an industry we need to be far better at developing and retaining great people," Crawford said.

Nominations should be sent to Talenthouse@mansionhouse.co.uk