Our regular contributing writer Una Riley went to the Lloyd’s Building in the City of London to meet Simon Henderson and David Thackway of Darwin Clayton. She writes:
I remember that when it was built (1978 to 1986) it was referred to as the ‘Inside-Out Building’ and was innovative at that time in having its services such as staircases, lifts, electrical power conduits and water pipes on the outside, leaving an uncluttered space inside. It was also the first building in the UK to have glass lifts running on the outside. It is awesome to see the new and traditional mix of architecture in the City and although in my mind the Lloyd’s building still seems uber-modern it is now surrounded by newer builds such as the Gherkin and of course the Shard. I was particularly looking forward to meeting Simon and David at the ‘Inside-Out building’ as the last time I was there was as Master of the Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP) with enthusiastic pupils from the Bexley Business Academy. The uniqueness of the building does not stop at the external façade. The inside is just as stylish. When we visited with the children from Bexley we were privileged to experience the delight of the committee room on the 11th floor. Having walked into such a contemporary structure we had all expected the committee room to be akin to a sci-fi hub. Instead when the door was opened it revealed an 18th century dining-room designed for the second Earl of Shelburne by Robert Adam in 1763. It was a beautiful dichotomy and like walking into a time machine. The room had been transferred piece-by-piece from the previous Lloyd’s building. After taking a good look the children ended their visit in the famous ‘Underwriting Room’ (often simply known as the Room) on the ground floor, which houses the famous Lutine Bell. I remember they were fascinated by the story of the French Navy frigate that was captured by the British in 1799 and taken into the Royal Navy as HMS Lutine. Sadly in October 1799 she sank while carrying a large cargo of gold, most of which remains un-salvaged. Lloyd’s of London has preserved her bell and it is the focal point of the ‘Room’ displayed in a devout way that seems to watch over the famous Lloyd’s of London ships register of today and in keeping with tradition a corresponding register from 100 years prior. Even on that first visit the Lutine Bell held that eerie karma associated with a lost ship. My imagination conjured up a picture of rough seas and a mist surrounding HMS Lutine as she was pulled down. This time accompanied by Simon and David I visited the ‘floor’ and the hairs on the back of my neck bristled as I once again encountered the bell; but this time the ships register of 100 years ago on display opposite the current ships register featured the name of a ship we all know …the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic. There was no need for romantic imagination regarding this ship. On April 14, 1912 she hit an iceberg and sank in two hours and forty minutes, causing the deaths of 1514 passengers. A disaster that caused widespread shock and outrage, it is also a story that remains strongly linked to the history of the Lloyd’s market, where the ship was insured for £1m. On this visit to the home of the insurance institution I was there to talk to Simon and David of Darwin Clayton one of the longest established independent insurance brokers in the UK. Mike O’Connor of Darwin Clayton has long supported the industry and especially the WCoSP from the beginning. Within the security profession they have a reputation for delivering a quality service. Like the security industry, insurance requirements are constantly changing. I had heard that there had been change and innovation at Darwin Clayton and wanted to hear all about it. I asked Simon when he became involved with the company. He said: “I joined Darwin’s last November (2011) having been in the insurance industry for 22 years on the underwriting side. Here we are at Lloyd’s where I worked for over five years and prior to that a mix of other insurance companies. Throughout that time I have always traded with Darwin Clayton underwriting their schemes because they have always been niche … scheme specialists such as the security industry.” David interjected and said: “Darwin’s have been associated with the security industry and the BSIA since the mid-1970s.” Simon continued: “So we have a good deep knowledge of the sector. It is great for me to come in to a broker that I have worked with for many years. It also allows me to take a business leap and move it on for the future. e were established 92 years ago as a regional independent broker and there are not many of those left in the UK. With such a strong foundation it gives me the opportunity to take stock and look at the business. The business model is great … it works but I think we need to add a few things to the model.” Like what, I asked. Simon replied: “For example we have to widen the way we distribute our products … client-focused and service-led. What we also need to do is add some online trading. On our website we want to build some new products across the board. I want us to be able to win business that we otherwise wouldn’t … for instance very small business that can be bought directly online. We also want to open a business route with other brokers because we are specialists in our sectors and other brokers may want access to our products, so they can on-sell Darwin specialist products.” We spoke about the financial climate in the UK; and although it seems pretty bleak in some areas, Simon and David were upbeat about the future for Darwin Clayton. Simon said: “Our business is growing so I am pleased with progress so far.” David reiterated that the growth for 2012 was good and talked about having been with Darwin’s for many years and recognises that this is an exciting period for the company. Simon went on: “Part of what we are doing is increasing our profile and brand recognition.” I enquired about the brand improvement. David said. “We started working on the new website about 18 months ago. We knew what was wrong but we really didn’t know what had to be right. When Simon joined us it gave us that focus on exactly where we wanted to go and in the last few months we have re-branded. We have always traded on our reputation and our age, and as a consequence our previous logo reflected a more historical image. We now have a much more modern feel. Again, as Simon said we had traditionally dealt with all our customers directly offering them personal service and avoided other brokers. Simon suggested that instead of offering a wholesale solution we should work with other brokers in partnership. We have already started doing that in areas like the security industry that is so specialist. For instance where there might be clients with other brokers; we will visit the client with the other broker. This is quite an unusual step for Darwin Clayton to take because we have always viewed our client relationship as precious. However, we can now add value to such a partnership with our knowledge of the industry.” We discussed the new way of working at length and Simon said that it had been well accepted by the insurance industry and the feedback was good. David also said that they would be gathering case studies from clients during the start-up period of this new way of trading. Simon explained that they still communicate extensively with their clients informing them of new products that have evolved to ensure clients’ needs are not only met, but exceeded. David said: “Communication is very important and it has evolved faster in the last ten years than ever before.” We talked about Twitter and LinkedIn as communication platforms that Darwin is using, with the traditional communication mix. It seems crazy to think that Twitter was only started in 2006 and LinkedIn in late 2002. It feels like they have always been part of the mix. David added: “Indeed we will evolve with the times and will continue to do so, making sure that our products meet our clients’ needs. Since it was established in 1920, we have provided specialist insurances to clients with distinct requirements and we will continue to do so.” I am sure they will. This is Darwin Clayton with attitude. Simon is going all out to strengthen the board and structure of the company in a way that he thinks is fit for purpose. I asked if there were any women in the boardroom? Simon said: “Not at the moment … but we are looking for the best people we can get in to fill the right roles. What we want is a company for the future that is capable of managing business double the size. As we grow we will have a succession plan that will create spaces so that we can hopefully promote people from within.” I have no doubt that Darwin Clayton will continue to offer the traditional service that has made them the go-to insurance company for almost a century; with a modern twist to suit this era.
