Insurance Times Awards 2026: C&C Insurance Brokers on its record-breaking year

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Malcolm Cooke, managing director at C&C Insurance Brokers, explains why his firm put itself forward for Commercial Lines Broker of the Year

Why did you put yourself forward for the category

Malc

Malcolm Cooke, managing director at C&C Insurance Brokers

We felt we had a story worth telling. Not because of one single spectacular achievement, but because of what our people consistently deliver for clients. Last year was a record-breaking year in several respects. We passed £102m in GWP, achieved £2m in new business income for the first time and maintained client retention at 97.4%.

But behind those figures is a team of over 170 people who genuinely care about getting things right. We wanted to recognise their efforts and demonstrate that strong commercial performance and doing the right thing for clients go hand in hand.

What do you think makes your entry stand out and why should you win the award?

We think our approach to claims sets us apart. While some brokers see claims handling as something to outsource, or a bolt-on, we’ve invested in a dedicated, 25-strong in-house team. Between them, they have 236 years of pure C&C experience and handled over 7,000 claims last year.

We’re now combining that expertise with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered claims analysis to help clients understand why losses happen and, more importantly, how to prevent them. It’s a combination of experienced people, genuine relationships and smart technology. Add 97.4% client retention and strong commercial growth and we’d like to think that’s a pretty compelling case.

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

An enormous amount, particularly to the people who make C&C what it is. We’ve been in business for over 50 years and while we’ve grown considerably, we’ve never wanted to lose the personal approach that got us here in the first place.

Winning would be fantastic recognition for everyone across the business, from our client-facing teams to the people working tirelessly behind the scenes. And whilst being shortlisted alongside some excellent brokers is an achievement in itself, we’re a competitive bunch – we’d be lying if we said we wouldn’t love to be able to bring home the trophy!