Insurance Times Advent Calendar: Katie Scott

Open your advent calendar below!

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1. What was your insurance industry highlight of 2025?

For me, a couple of key highlights spring to mind.

First is the launch of Insurance Times’ first editorial campaign, signalling a real passion project for us as a brand and signposting the impactful advocacy role that the trade press can have within a market sector.

Although work behind the scenes of our talent-centric campaign, Destination Insurance, had been bubbling away since the onset of 2025, it only really took centre stage from October. At this point, we formally launched the campaign to the UK general insurance market via a panel discussion led webinar, revealing our carefully crafted talent charter for the sector’s SMEs and confirming our plans for a one-day talent related conference in January 2026.

Even in these early stages of the campaign, Destination Insurance has been such a collaborative journey, with different firms and subsectors uniting to try and solve universal talent challenges that the whole market is facing, with Insurance Times acting as that neutral collaboration platform and facilitator.

I am so proud to be one of the creators of such an ambitious and relevant campaign for our sector.

My second highlight is certainly a more selfish one, but I will never forget being named trade body Biba’s Journalist of the Year at its Journalism and Media Awards in July 2025, alongside picking up the prize for Best Thought Leadership for a very personal article linked to my fertility journey.

To be recognised with an award of this stature in our marketplace just meant the absolute world to me.

2. What is your Christmas message for your insurance colleagues?

Firstly, put the 15 January 2026 in your diary for Insurance Times’ Destination Insurance conference and make sure to buy a ticket – it really is shaping up to be a cracking day full of insight that should benefit UK general insurance.

Secondly, enjoy the festive break! One of the things I love about our industry is its ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality – it is undeniable that insurance professionals socialise, network and collaborate with a dedicated intensity and skill that is unlike any other sector.

So, I find it rather refreshing that the industry universally clocks off come mid-December, carving out quality time to spend with loved ones. I hope everyone has the most magical Christmas with their family and friends.

3. What do you hope to find under the industry’s Christmas tree for 2026?

I don’t know if ‘hope’ is quite the right word here, but I am very intrigued to see how the shape of the broker market develops come 2026. Those who have read my recent briefing articles will see that I have been mulling over private equity models, potential initial public offerings from consolidators and European hotspots for M&A by UK businesses. It does feel as if M&A and growth strategies in our market are on the cusp of an important change in direction, so it will be fascinating to see how exactly that shapes up next year.

With my Insurance Times hat on, I hope to find some more exclusive data partnerships ripe for collaboration under our Christmas tree, underpinning even more great content from data reporter George McDade for our Data Matters brand, which launched this year. This type of content that tells the stories from number heavy spreadsheets is so relevant in our marketplace.

From a personal perspective, 99% of what is under the Scott family Christmas tree is for my two-year-old son, so there are plenty of Spider-Man goodies and vehicle related gifts hidden away. If Santa could find it in his heart to give me a full night of sleep and maybe a lie in, my internal mum mode would very much appreciate it!

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