About
I'm an ambitious, commercially minded professional with a strong background in financial services, insurance, people leadership and business ownership. I'm passionate about driving performance, developing people and finding opportunities to deliver better business results. Throughout my career at Zurich Insurance and Nationwide Building Society, I've built a reputation for taking ownership, challenging existing ways of working and getting results. I've led teams of up to 16 colleagues, coached individuals and managers to improve performance, and worked closely with senior stakeholders to deliver operational and commercial improvements. At Zurich, I managed a team within the SME underwriting operation, where I developed a particular interest in sales performance, objection handling and the commercial impact of effective coaching. I also led improvement initiatives that increased daily productivity by 21% and streamlined reporting processes, releasing approximately 70 hours of operational capacity each week. I'm a big believer that good leadership isn't just about managing people. It's about understanding what motivates them, identifying opportunities, challenging performance and creating an environment where people genuinely want to succeed. Alongside my corporate career, I've established and managed my own business, giving me firsthand experience of commercial decision-making, B2B prospecting, negotiation, customer relationships and the realities of growing a business. It's strengthened my entrepreneurial mindset and made me even more interested in the sales and revenue-generating side of an organisation. **I'm now looking to take my career in a more sales-focused direction.** I want to be in an environment where commercial success is at the heart of what the business does, where I can contribute to growth, develop my own sales capabilities and be rewarded for the results I deliver. I'm open to opportunities across sales leadership, business development, account management, commercial management and other performance-driven roles. I'm particularly interested in insurance, financial services, fintech and technology, although I'm equally open to exploring other industries where my skills and ambition could add value. I'd describe myself as driven, analytical, naturally curious and a little competitive! I enjoy working towards challenging goals, solving problems and learning new skills. I'm not afraid of stepping outside my comfort zone, and I'm just as comfortable taking the lead as I am learning from people with different experiences. Ultimately, I'm looking for more than just my next job. I want to build a long-term career with an ambitious, forward-thinking organisation that values initiative, invests in its people and offers genuine opportunities for progression. If there's an opportunity to make an impact, learn something new and work towards ambitious targets, that's exactly where I want to be.
Experience
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Managing DirectorK L R Holdings LtdMar 2026 – Present
Identified and proactively approached potential corporate accommodation customers, including contractors and relocation companies, to introduce services and explore business opportunities. Developed introductory business outreach communications and handled enquiries, commercial discussions and supplier negotiations. Managed a three-property serviced accommodation portfolio, including pricing, demand analysis, budgets, guest experience and operational delivery. Used booking and pricing platforms and spreadsheet reporting to assess commercial performance and prioritise actions.
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SME Underwriting Team ManagerZurich Insurance2024 – Jul 2026
Led and coached a team of approximately 12–14 underwriters across a commercial SME insurance operation spanning 11 products; supported eight colleague promotions. Coached colleagues on outbound sales conversations, objection handling and conversion improvement, using Salesforce and performance reviews to inform development. Worked across departments and with senior stakeholders to present operational findings, influence decisions and deliver improvements affecting approximately 220 colleagues. Led a task workforce that improved daily output by 21%, from 1,200 to 1,450 tasks; used performance data to identify and address bottlenecks. Redesigned reporting and improvement processes, reducing a 35–45-slide weekly pack to two slides and saving approximately 70 hours of capacity per week.
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Contact Centre Team ManagerNationwide Building Society2022 – 2024
Managed a team of 16 in regulated banking operations, delivering coaching, performance reviews, quality assurance and customer service improvement. Coached more than 10 managers in interpreting performance data and identifying practical actions; improved an underperforming team within five months. Presented recommendations, managed competing operational priorities and collaborated across a contact centre of more than 1,000 colleagues.
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Senior ConsultantNationwide Building Society2021 – 2022
Handled complex banking, fraud and Visa disputes queries, explaining decisions clearly and supporting customers and colleagues in a regulated environment. Supported training improvements and specialist guidance using PEGA and PRM.