Claire Ault

Griffiths & Armour Professional Risks
Client Services Director

Claire’s responsibility on the Client Services Board relates to Client Relationships and Development.

She possesses a wide understanding of the concerns faced in local and regional markets and the differences across the various jurisdictions our clients are operating within. Claire has developed excellent working relationships since joining Griffiths & Armour as a Graduate Trainee Insurance Broker in 2007. During this time, she has won numerous awards including the coveted BIBA Northwest Young Broker of the Year and the Chubb Insurance Company prize for achieving the best examination result in Risk Management whilst completing her Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) qualification.

Claire, is the Client Services Board improving the client experience?

The implementation of a Board focused exclusively on client service is unique and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to developing our service proposition and providing the standard of service that we aspire to deliver. As all Board members work closely with their own clients and manage teams of brokers, they are very close to the issues that matter to our clients and how we can best support their interests.

It’s a very collaborative approach. Based on feedback from my fellow Directors and the wider team, we have already implemented new systems and procedures into the Professional Risks division which have helped to improve efficiency and enable our teams to focus on delivering exceptional client service and support. We are also working on numerous digital projects that will transform the way we do things and not only benefit our individual clients but also support our wider industry engagement and client advocacy work.

How have you supported the development of client relationships?

I am fortunate to have worked with clients across different regions and disciplines. Working so closely with them has afforded me the opportunity to understand much more about the construction process, the challenges our clients face and the nuances that exist from region to region and project to project. I think it is that understanding, and my close relationship with clients, that has allowed me to place effective Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance programmes whilst also delivering effective risk management guidance to help manage their exposure and support their future growth.

The proposition must be right for each individual client and that is why we spend significant time developing our understanding of each client and the sectors and territories they operate in. Only then are we able to structure a programme that is suitable to their individual requirements. My fellow Client Services Director, Claire Meade, has a particular focus on global placements which means that there is often an overlap across our individual areas of responsibility. Being able to share our experiences and bounce ideas off each other within a Board setting is something that I think has worked really well in delivering even greater consistency and certainty to our clients.

What initiatives are you currently involved in?

One of the main projects I have worked on since the formation of the Board has been the creation and communication of our ‘Guiding Principles’. The document has been a collaboration between all Board members and others across the division, drawing on our collective experiences to capture how we best support our clients and how we want that to evolve into the future.

It is about driving behaviours that reflect our core values and creating a template against which to measure performance. Ensuring that we are continuing to provide the best possible service to our clients; something we want to remain deeply embedded within the culture at G&A.