Setting out a vision for modern insurance IN ASSOCIATION WITH
PIB GROUP
DIGITAL REPORT 2020
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Setting out a vision for modern insurance
03
www.pi bgro up . co. u k
PIB GROUP
Paul Johnson, PIB Group CIO and COO, explains how professionalisation, data and automation has allowed the company to drive a significant expansion campaign
I
t’s a rare accomplishment when a new company is able to make a bold impression on the market within its first few years,
yet this is exactly what PIB Group (‘PIB’) has done. Founded in 2015, the organisation’s strategy has been marked by a dynamic and fresh approach to insurance which has already seen it summit the UK 04
market and become a genuine leader. Combining the latest data insights with years of industry experience, it is able to offer customers a superlative and comprehensive service. Receiving financial backing from multinational equity corporation The Carlyle Group, PIB’s campaign for growth, both through acquisition and organically, has so far seen 30 businesses brought under its umbrella from nearly every corner of the UK since 2016. Prior to beginning his journey with PIB Group in 2018, Paul Johnson, COO and CIO, claims that a conversation with Brendan McManus (PIB Group CEO) convinced him that the company was an exciting prospect he had to get involved with. “I was consulting for a new startup blockchain bank at the time,” he recalls. “But, after speaking to Brendan and listening to the PIB Group story, I
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“After speaking to the CEO and listening to PIB Group’s story, I became genuinely excited about the company and felt a real ‘click’ with the executive vision” — Paul Johnson, CIO and COO, PIB Group
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COMBINING TECHNOLOGY WITH CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY Andrew Martin, Egnyte’s Managing Director, UK, discusses how the company is assisting PIB Group in its digital transformation journey. Recognising the value of cutting-edge technology combined with a strong, customercentric work ethic, Egnyte is an intelligent content platform to access, share, and manage content no matter where the work happens. Specifically, working with one of its key clients, PIB Group, Egynte has been helping it define a vital data management strategy to maintain its high-quality services in a shifting insurance landscape. “For enterprises these days, the focus isn’t just on digital transformation,” explains Andrew Martin, Managing Director, UK. “Really it’s about data transformation and helping our customers formulate a strategy regarding their structured and unstructured data.” Fascinated by both technology and sport at a young age, Martin says that he has been able to incorporate his leadership and team management skills from the latter to drive his coordination of Egynte’s EMEA-focused operations. Priding himself on an ability to see problems from the customer’s point of view, Martin explains that the philosophy of the company’s founders - Vineet Jain (Chief Executive Officer) and Rajesh Ram (Chief Experience Officer) - drew him in and inspired him to join. “Fundamentally, they’re two guys who found a problem that they couldn’t solve at their previous organisations and decided to create a company to address it.” Claiming that, in a direct comparison with its competitors, Egynte’s cloud-first usually emerges victorious, it is Martin’s opinion that the time is right for further market expansion. With over 16,000 customers accrued since it was founded in 2007, the company has a solid grasp on its core capabilities and is now assessing the market carefully to anticipate the needs of tomorrow’s clients. “The business started with moving document file servers to the cloud without negatively impacting the user experience or speed
Andrew Martin & Darrell Cook @ EGNYTE
degradation. However, with a client like PIB Group, we have to manage millions of files across thousands of employees while they’re also trying to onboard multiple new acquisitions every year.” To give a more accurate impression of the scale of the onboarding: PIB Group has brought over 40 businesses under its umbrella in less than five years. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most difficult logistical challenges of modern business, Martin proudly states that Egnyte’s strong relationship with PIB Group has seen the latter through its implementation of remote working processes. “Paul Johnson (COO and CIO at PIB Group) has said that, through PIB Group’s usage of our technology, the company has had no challenges making content and data available to all their employees wherever they want to work.” What was once a static and relatively limited vendor relationship has developed over the years to become a fully-fledged partnership, one underpinned by mutual recognition of the value of customer-centricity. “Darrell Cook (Customer Success Manager) runs our relationship with PIB Group, not my sales team,” Martin emphasises. Cook himself adds: “That dynamic allows us to really understand its business, goals and problems, therefore making it easier to find solutions. That’s something that I think Egnyte does very well: we listen to the customer and find out what they want to see in the future.”
PIB GROUP
“I’m always interested in how we can provide a much better service to our customers, and artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA) and bots can provide that” — Paul Johnson, CIO and COO, PIB Group
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became genuinely excited about the
That teaches you a lot in terms of how
company and felt a real ‘click’ with the
to lead in the most optimal and pro-
executive vision.” Bringing a diverse
fessional way for your employees.”
range of skills accrued in tech firms,
In fact, when asked to describe
financial institutions and even the
the workplace culture at PIB Group,
Royal Navy, Johnson says that know-
Johnson easily summarises it as
ing many aspects of the sector has
‘engaged’ and ‘collaborative’. “One
allowed him to adopt the agile, flexible
of the things I enjoy most about PIB
work ethic required in such a fast-
Group is the culture,” he adds. “The
moving company. “My experience
COVID-19 period has emphasised
has been very varied, including the
even more that our employees are the
acquisition of organisations, inter-
engine of the company.” Maintaining
national growth and then suddenly
a corporate yet entrepreneurial spirit,
having to switch to cost optimisation.
wherein everyone feels that they can
contribute, underpins PIB’s need to
AI-powered analytics will be at the
stay nimble, particularly as technology
forefront of the industry in the near
continues to disrupt the traditional
future is beyond doubt for him: with AI
norms of insurance. The developing
algorithms capable of building highly
application of smart automation is one
accurate customer data profiles and
aspect which particularly interests
sophisticated understanding of the
Johnson: “I’m always interested in how
market, insurers will be able to provide
we can provide a much better service
better advice and suggest the best
to our customers, and artificial intelli-
products for their customers’ needs.
gence (AI), robotic process automation
Customer-centrism is key for PIB
(RPA) and bots can provide that. I want
Group because it is the company’s
the company to ensure that our people
outstanding reputation in the mar-
can focus on servicing our customers
ket which has enabled it to expand
rather than simply on processes.” That
so rapidly, including new locations
E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
Paul Johnson Title: CIO/COO
Company: PIB Group
Paul joined PIB Group in October 2018. His career started at the Royal Navy where he was responsible for maintaining Electronic Warfare, Comms and Weapons. He then joined a technology a company that supported a range of systems before moving to NatWest Bank, as well as other roles in financial services, consultancy for IBM and the airline industry. Recent positions have included Executive CIO and COO/CIO at GMAC, Lloyds Bank and Aldermore Bank. Paul has more recently been involved in developing a new BlockChain based bank and is also an Independent NonExecutive Director on the Board of a Maltese Bank and was an Independent Non-Executive Director of a UK Bank. www.pi bgro up . co. u k
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Guest Interview with Brendan McManus - CEO of PIB Group CLICK TO WATCH
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41:50
11 in mainland Europe. It is a respect,
unavoidable. Establishing a strong
Johnson goes on to say, which is only
baseline technology level across PIB
deepening as time goes by: “One
was an important step in levelling-out
of the keys to our success has been
the playing field. This was accomplished
through professionalising the way in
by utilising cloud to provide an easily
which we integrate new acquisitions
scalable tech framework that could
from a business operational perspec-
be deployed from the smallest to the
tive, a technological perspective and
largest new acquisition. “I’m currently
absolutely from a governance compli-
building a new data set that we can
ance perspective. We have to be very
use to provide better customer service,
considerate of how we work for the
propositions and advice to our growing
interests of our customers.” However,
customer base,” Johnson adds.
as more companies are onboarded, the
However, although he has set out
issue of mixed progress on the journey
a clear vision for digital transforma-
towards digital transformation becomes
tion, Johnson says that it hasn’t been www.pi bgro up . co. u k
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“The insurance world has got together to help and PIB Group was one of the first contributors to the project” — Paul Johnson, CIO and COO, PIB Group
group,” he says. Sharing PIB Group’s customer-centric ethos has been pivotal in creating this cross-party consensus, which, in turn, augments services, overcomes technological barriers and promotes a quality experience regardless of which aspect of PIB Group interacts with. Although visionary leadership is an important aspect of PIB’s success, Johnson emphasises that partnerships
without difficulty. “One of the biggest
with select companies are also critical
challenges is actually maintaining that
to its everyday operations. Seeking
data and retaining visibility over a very
truly synergistic relationships which
long period of time.” Building a large
will uphold the tenets of engagement
archive of policies for the contingency
and collaboration which PIB Group
that they may need to be accessed
encourages amongst its own people,
in the future, PIB Group holds some
the company values openness, clear
information which is over 40 years old.
communication and transparency
Another obstacle has been achieving
above all else, something which has
cultural unity across the company’s
been accomplished with companies
myriad enterprises in an effort to
such as Websure, Applied, Mimacast
avoid a siloed community, underscor-
and Egnyte to name a few. Regarding
ing the reason why collaboration is
the latter, a software company that
placed at the heart of everything. “A
provides a cloud platform for enter-
lot of those brands have had value in
prise systems, Johnson said, “The
their own right in the past, but what
great thing about Egnyte is that it
they realise now is that, if we can
provides an integrated system that is
bring them all together, the power of
also data-secure. It’s flexible too, so
one entity is greater than a disparate
we can conduct scenario analyses www.pi bgro up . co. u k
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and adjust products for customer
which believes in straightforward
optimisation much faster.” Littlefish,
language to explain its services.
a UK-based managed IT solutions
“Littlefish is a relatively new incum-
provider, is another partner in this
bent, but it’s been a valuable conduit
vein. An energetic disruptor in its
between PIB Group and a number of
sphere, Littlefish prides itself in suc-
other partners,” Johnson explains.
ceeding where larger ‘usual suspect’
“Our relationship has been absolutely
alternatives usually fail. Able to tailor
excellent: it isn’t just a supplier; it’s a
solutions to the precise needs of
real collaboration. It’s genuinely been
its customers, it is also a company
a joy to work with Littlefish.”
C O V I D - 19 SU PP O RT FU N D
PIB Group is part of a COVID-19 Support Fund - a charity established to help address the social disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson had this to say: “The insurance world has got together to help and PIB Group was one of the first contributors to the project. The idea is to provide financial assistance and advice to charities, the NHS and other parties that need support as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and the significant impact it’s had on so many lives. “I think, overall, PIB Group is very aware of the impact that not only the virus has had but also the resulting complications of other diseases such as cancer. We are always looking to get involved with worthwhile causes in order to make a difference.”
www.pi bgro up . co. u k
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PIB GROUP
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“A lot of those brands have had value in their own right in the past, but what they realise now is that, if we can bring them all together, the power of one entity is greater than a disparate group” — Paul Johnson, CIO and COO, PIB Group
2015
Year founded
£128mn+ Revenue in pounds
1,400 Number of employees
Reflecting on the company’s progress
Group continues to be successful: if
throughout 2020, Johnson remarks
customers are kept satisfied, growth will
that, despite the incredibly challenging
naturally occur. Even more excitingly,
economic climate, expansion for PIB
Johnson says that the 2021 strategy
Group has carried on unabated. In fact,
intends to maintain this remarkable
in certain areas, it has even acceler-
pace, with plenty more acquisitions
ated. “Our focus at the beginning of the
in the pipeline. With a solid customer
year was centred on growth. Obviously
base, unified corporate culture and new
protecting our employees has become
data-based tech taking the company to
an even greater priority, but we’re still in
even greater heights, it appears that PIB
a position to keep serving our custom-
Group has developed a winning formula.
ers in the very best way possible.” This hints at the reason why, perhaps, PIB www.pi bgro up . co. u k
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PIB GROUP ONE MINSTER COURT MINCING LANE LONDON EC3R 7AA T + 0330 058 9700
www.pibgroup.co.uk
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