Aviva’s reputation for helping customers when it really matters has helped it grow to become the UK’s leading insurer, with more than 18m customers across its Insurance, Wealth and Retirement businesses. There are many reasons why it is a giant in its industry and, here, we talk to its Director of Mid-Market, Schemes & Regional Specialty, Michael Yabantu, as it wins its title in the UK Enterprise Awards 2023.
Aviva can trace its heritage back to 1696, in an age of highwaymen.
Over three centuries later, Aviva is still as relevant, and necessary as it always has been. There will always be an intrinsic need for insurance, and Aviva – whose purpose is ‘with you today for a better tomorrow,’ has built a reputation for being there for customers when it matters most.
Talking of the company’s history, Director of Mid-Market, Schemes & Regional Specialty at Aviva, Michael Yabantu, tells us that its diverse nature and longstanding heritage is something that is incredibly important to Aviva as a whole. Its adaptability over time has always been something that Aviva can be incredibly proud of, especially since its work has been for its customers wellbeing.
As we all know, peace of mind is utterly invaluable throughout our daily lives. With the responsibilities and tensions of everyday life, the last thing we want to worry about is how we will ensure we are protected. In fact, this is one of our top priorities. If something was to go awry, we know we can depend on Aviva to look out for us.
Aviva covers many areas from retirement to international savings and insurance, so that we can rest assured that our assets, and future, are safe.
When asked about the company’s unique selling point, Michael comments, “One of the unique things about Aviva is that we’re able to serve all of the customers’ needs. When you know a customer wants to protect their wealth and their assets – life, health, the things they love – we’re probably the only insurer in the UK that can do all of those things.”
Aviva’s cover for Mid-Market organisations includes a wide range of industries such as arts, entertainment, and tourism, professional and business services, technology, health and social care, sports, hobbies, and pursuits, retail, wholesale, and distribution, and so much more. Each industry requires specialist knowledge, insights, and predictions so that they can be fully supported and protected. In this way, Aviva stays ahead of the curve in the Mid-Market space by utilising its wealth of experience on a case to case basis.
“We recognise that every Mid-Market business is unique. We aim to understand as much as we can about our broker partners’ clients and their businesses so we can deliver the right insurance solutions for them.”
Offering its commercial combined wordings, Aviva acts as a buttress for Mid-Market businesses. It provides warranty free cover for property damage, business interruption, contract works, employers’ liability, and public and products liability, so that we can rest assured everything is being handled correctly.
Aviva also supports businesses with a “range of added-value services, such as a legal and tax helpline included at no extra cost, counselling services and access to business-specific consultancy, industry seminars, forums, and thought leadership.” This level of support simply demonstrates the effort and care that Aviva pours into its partnerships, and their clients too.
Aviva is a firm believer that “more often than not, Mid-Market involves local businesses dealing with local businesses.” Which is exactly why it has deeply invested in its regional underwriters. “The breadth of product range and expertise we have allows us to underwrite your clients’ cover requirements.”
In an increasingly complex, unpredictable, and inter-connected world, being able to manage existing and emerging risks has never been more important. To help its Mid-Market customers, Aviva offers customised risk management and prevention solutions and services. Michael says, “Working with larger and more complex Mid-Market clients, our underwriters work closely with our expert risk managers to make sure that we’re able to fully understand the operations of the business. Not only allowing us to understand the risks that we’re taking on, but also bring some added value services to support clients in better protecting their business.
“Whether that’s through advice, improvements they can make, or whether that’s introducing them to specialist partners that we work with that can help with some of the things that they might want to think about, to help mitigate some of the risks they face.”
All of Aviva’s underwriters and services guarantee a professional process for a range of sectors in the Mid-Market, freeing individuals from the weight they may be carrying. With a long-term partnership, Aviva can provide clients with stability throughout rate commitments, profit shares, and more. Its tireless work helping within a plethora of Mid-Market sectors has resulted in its growth, alongside the growth of its many partnerships.
Aviva’s products cover a range of different sectors for customers’ varying requirements and wishes, and its fundamental products even stretch to “specialist covers that work in conjunction with the core things that you’d want to cover and protect.” These specialist areas also involve cyber, marine, engineering, and more, making the company an invaluable asset to any Mid-Market customer looking to protect their business.
“We understand what’s really important for customers. We take pride in doing things really well, and we use all of our expertise and empathy to give the customers the best possible experience and peace of mind to help them think about the future.”
Aviva values and practices commitment to delivering on its promises. Michael enthuses, “We take accountability and ownership for what we do. We try to learn as we go and be better every day. We believe in community.” Cultivating a rich feel of community spirit, Aviva does more than take care of its own. It cares for its customers, colleagues and the communities it operates in, and brings everyone together by making insurance straightforward, accessible, and trustworthy.
“This is about working together to make Aviva the best it can be for our customers, our colleagues and in the communities that we operate in.”
Michael adds, “We definitely see diversity, equity, and inclusion being a big part of us from a community perspective. We support the growth of our people and speak up if something isn’t right. We make sure we are really empathetic and supportive of our customers.”
Every aspect of Aviva’s beliefs are reflected in its recruitment process. Michael states, “When recruiting, the questions we ask will be for the examples and experience we want to draw from potential candidates will be based on our values. And any time we’re doing any recognition and reward schemes, they’ll attach to one of the values.”
A fantastic initiative is Aviva’s volunteering scheme, where it gives three days of leave per year for volunteering purposes. This could be any volunteering of the team member’s wishes – and with full pay. This is so that people can contribute to something they feel strongly about, something that is close to their hearts, without feeling like they need to take unpaid leave. This has constructed a tight-knit feeling of community amongst team members, and Aviva is a firm believer in giving back to the community and the customers that it serves.
Not only does Aviva support society through its volunteering scheme, but Aviva has also announced partnerships with WWF, the Red Cross, and the Citizens Advice Bureau to support its commitment to the climate challenge, humanitarian crisis response and the cost of living.
Aviva’s dedication to keeping us protected is admirable and influential for insurance businesses everywhere. We are sure that Aviva will continue to serve the UK, Canada, and Ireland well and we look forward to seeing where it goes next.
For further information, please visit https://www.aviva.com/
