We are pleased to introduce Mike Cunningham, the Head of Financial Lines at Gallagher in Ireland. In this month’s spotlight, Mike discusses his deliberate choice to pursue a career in the insurance industry and what initially drew him to Financial Lines. He provides insights into how he strives to enhance customer experience at Gallagher and why he appreciates the collaborative spirit within our company.
How did you get started in the industry?
I decided to do the MSc Risk Management & Insurance course in University of Limerick after finishing my degree so I was probably one of the few people at the time who made a conscious decision to get into the insurance industry. After completing the course, I worked for a number of different local insurance companies before finding my way into the broking world.
What does your job entail?
As Head of Financial Lines, I am responsible for the broking and placement of our Gallagher Ireland’s Professional Indemnity, Cyber and Directors & Officers policies. On a day-to-day basis this could involve meeting with clients and insurers, reviewing policy wordings and handling client queries or claims.
What initially interested you about Financial Lines?
Financial Lines offers the chance to work with clients involved in a broad range of industries from architects to solicitors to technology and pharmaceutical companies.
The cyber insurance market in particular is constantly growing and evolving which makes it an interesting sector to be involved in.
What do you enjoy most about working with your colleagues?
With Gallagher Ireland’s geographical spread around the country, it is great to be able to work and collaborate with people from different offices. Everyone is happy to help and comes with a can-do attitude which always makes things easier.
Can you provide an example of a time when your work positively impacted a customer’s experience?
We try to be proactive in our approach with client’s and not just engage with them at renewal time each year. Being able to provide quick feedback to clients on any insurance or contract related queries is always appreciated by clients as it allows them push ahead with their own projects.
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance in a demanding professional environment?
I think it’s important to set aside some time to get away from your desk and get out and about, be it either before work or at lunchtime. With hybrid working it’s easy to just start off the day by turning on the laptop when working from home but I always find getting out of the house for an hour first thing keeps the productivity up.