One of the Chartered Insurance Institute’s longest standing members will retire at the end of this year from his role at JM Glendinning (Insurance Brokers) South Yorkshire Limited, following 55 years in the industry.
Stephen John (71), who is a commercial account executive at JM Glendinning, recently received a certificate from the CII marking his half a century of membership. Says Stephen, “The certificate came as a bit of a shock, but it was a very welcome surprise. The UK is renowned as a world leader in insurance and to receive this recognition from the industry body is a real career highlight.”
Stephen started his career in insurance straight from school in Halifax in 1963. He went on to achieve his Associate-ship in Insurance (ACII) in 1972 and joined a commercial firm in Bradford soon after. In 1976, at 28 years old, he set up his own insurance broking business, SG John Ltd, that covered all classes of insurance for a wide range of clients, both individual and commercial throughout the region. After almost thirty years, Stephen sold his business to Trevor Richmond Brokers who subsequently sold onto Giles Insurance Brokers. He continued to work with them until 2011 when the opportunity arose to join JM Glendinning in South Yorkshire.
Stephen says, “The insurance industry has changed considerably over the years with increases in legislation and technology playing a much larger role. However, the essence of what I do – providing a tailored service and building and strengthening client relationships – remains equally, if not more, important to us as a firm.”
Offering advice to those starting their career in insurance, Stephen adds, “I think it’s very important to go as far as possible with examinations and achieving certificates. Paying attention to detail and carefully reading policy documentation has always come in very useful to me when reviewing the insurance cover and ultimately protecting clients.”
Mark Browne, Managing Director at JM Glendinning South Yorkshire, says, “Stephen’s 55 years of service is something quite seldom in the insurance industry nowadays, due to early onset of insurer, and then broker, consolidation. However, our team of seven has bucked this trend with a combined 239 years of broking experience between us. To have an experienced team of brokers such as this is something we are extremely proud of.
“Stephen’s knowledge of the insurance industry from every angle has been invaluable to our business and the team has learned a great deal from him. Stephen will be very much missed by everyone here at J M Glendinning and we all wish him well in his retirement.”
