A mission to “challenge the status quo” and provide “new levels of service” in Tayside has seen the rapid expansion of insurance firm Partners&.
Just two years after setting up in Dundee, the city office now has 14 members of staff and 350 clients.
And Paul Ross, who leads the Dundee branch, said there is plenty of growth to come.
Within two years he wants to double the amount of business the Dundee office handles.
To support the growth, Partners& recently moved to new premises at Dundee Technology Park.
Partners& Dundee
Mr Ross, 59, has worked for more than 30 years in the industry, spending most of his career at Aviva.
More recently he ran the Dundee and Perth offices of Clark Thomson, which was taken over by Jelf in 2018. He then became senior vice president of Jelf owner, Marsh.
He was attracted to Partners&, which was only founded in 2020, due to its focus on service and advice.
Mr Ross said: “Our purpose is to challenge the status quo in our industry, which has become known for diminishing service and misguided market practices.
“We are committed to bringing a new level of service to the business community in Dundee.
“We want to work in partnership with clients to support them in building resilience to the risks they face.”
Face-to-face meetings essential
Partners& has clients of all sizes, from sole traders to major companies whose operations span several locations.
It advises not only on insurance but issues such as employee benefits, wellbeing programmes and cyber security. Business continuity is another specialism.
Mr Ross said the company does not take on a client until they have met them face-to-face. He says this is the only way to provide the best quality advice.
He said: “A lot of the insurers are pushing it more and more online.
“I think you’ve got to be careful. If these businesses grow they don’t have the right things in place. A lot of clients we’re taken on had insurance which was nowhere near adequate.
“Unless you visit a company’s premises and speak to the business leaders, you don’t really know what’s going on and where the risks lie.”
Recruiting young workers into insurance
Partners& employs 75 people across Scotland with offices in Arbroath, Benbecula, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Helensburgh, Inverness and Perth.
The wider Partners& business, which is backed by private equity cash, also has ambitious targets to expand organically and through acquisitions.
Mr Ross said recruitment was one of the main challenges for the sector.
He said: “Bringing young people in is one of the biggest challenges.
“It’s a great sector, but it’s not a sexy sector. It’s great because you get to meet different clients and learn about different businesses.”
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