Broker Spotlight Joanne

Bradford –

Ace Insurance

1. Tell us a bit about your brokerage, and the origins of the company.

ACE Insurance was set up in 2017, so we have just entered our 7th year of trading. We are predominantly a Motor Trade broker, and I joined the team in 2021 to set up and build a Household and Property brand.

2. What makes your brokerage unique? Being a Niche Product Insurance Broker - we believe that this in itself makes us unique.

We specialise in certain classes of business in order to give the client the best possible service through product knowledge and pricing from our carriers.

3. What does a typical week look like for you?

I’m lucky enough to be able to work a three day week, but that can often feel like working 100 miles an hour for those days. Mondays are always extremely hectic, so before you know it, it’s Wednesday and the working week is done!

4. What are the best pieces of advice you have received in your years of experience working in the insurance industry?

I suppose it’s generic advice really, and it can be used in any walk of life, but a wise person once taught me to take a step back from any situation before reacting, giving yourself time to really think about what you should say or do. It’s served me well in my career so far..

5. What, in your opinion, is the biggest reason you continue to work with us here at ABACUS?

ABACUS have always been such a great business to work with, the system is user friendly, and there’s always a friendly voice at the end of the phone should you need support. ABACUS are extremely engaging and it’s a pleasure to have worked with the team while at ACE and for many years in my previous role.

6. Your main office is based in Redditch, near Birmingham; If someone were to visit your area, what would you recommend they go and see or do first? We’re pretty close to Cadbury World so I would say that’s a must for anyone visiting the area.

7. What is your go-to holiday destination?

Myself and my husband recently bought an apartment in Spain, so after spending the first year renovating it, we like to spend as much time as we can enjoying the sunshine in Costa del Sol.

8. It is July and the sun is finally shining regularly, what is your favourite thing to do on an English Summer Day?

Light the BBQ, get the cold beers out and invite some friends and family over to soak up the sunshine

9. If you had to choose an animal to represent your brokerage, what animal would you choose and why?

I would say we are a Giraffe, as I think the service we offer to our clients is head and shoulders above others in our field. (Also, quite ironic as the MD is small)

10. Is there a particular ABACUS event that you have attended that stood out for you?

I’m laughing as I write this, as there have been a few, but I’m sure one event would spring to mind if a few certain Directors were asked. ABACUS kindly hosted a Horseracing event (it may have been Kempton) On leaving the box, I was advised to take the bottle of Courvoisier with me, as I’d had a couple out of measures out of it so it would have to be paid for anyway. I proudly put the bottle in my handbag (clearly slightly inebriated at this point) and sneakily poured myself the occasional drink or two in the pub that evening. We later found out that only the measures used had to be paid for…. A somewhat costly mistake, and I’m still taunted for ‘stealing’ the bottle to this day!!