Lea Cheesbrough, managing director of The Movo Partnership, reveals why she believes her firm should win the Challenger of the Year category at the 2022 Insurance Times Awards

Explain briefly about your entry in the Challenger of the Year category

In our business, we love to remind our team members that just because ‘this is the way things are done’ does not mean ‘this is the way things should be done’.

The Movo Partnership had to overcome the old perception of appointed representative (AR) networks and show why it is not only an alternative way for independent brokers to trade, but the preferred way.

We don’t believe there has been a more disruptive insurance network model in the last five years at least. In just over three years, we have caught up - in terns of numbers - with all our competitors.

Lea-Cheesbrough, managing director, Movo Partnership

Lea Cheesbrough, The Movo Partnership

Running a small or medium-sized broker is really demanding and days can be filled with non-revenue generating activities.

By brokers pooling resources together, we knew we could make the process easier by centralising functions. We achieved our goal with hard work and never taking no for an answer.

What do you think makes your entry stand out or different from your competition?

Some of our feedback comments we receive from prospects and insurers include:

  • ”So where is the catch? This sounds too good to be true.”
  • ”This is a great idea, why has no one done this before?”

What would winning this award mean to you and your firm?

We made a commitment at the beginning of this journey that the network would not focus on maximising its profits, but rather it would reinvest to improve the lives of our members.

To be recognised through this award would go some way towards making the last three years feel like it has been ‘mission achieved’.