Insurance Times Awards 2026: Covéa on standing out through ‘five connected strengths’

Why did you put yourselves forward for the category?

I have always said we wouldn’t put ourselves forward for an award unless we had the receipts and this year we felt we did. As a 100% broker-only insurer, every decision we make comes back to one question – does this help brokers look after their customers?

Some 93% of brokers told us in 2025 that they trust and rely on our leadership team and we’ve ranked first in a major broker survey for eight consecutive years running. Entering this category felt like the right moment to share that story and to recognise the team behind it.

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

We stand out through five connected strengths – a genuinely broker-only partnership model, shared insight that builds trust, service excellence when it matters most, technical discipline and a culture that delivers performance. Complaints relating to claims sit at just 3%, backed by ServiceMark with distinction from the Institute of Customer Service across the whole company.

Behind that sits real cultural progress too, with female representation on our executive committee rising and hires from ethnic minority backgrounds up 52% in 18 months. Together, these strengths show a business that delivers consistently for brokers, customers and colleagues alike.

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

Winning this award would mean a huge amount, both to me and to the whole personal lines team. It would recognise the people who turn up, pick up the phone and do what they said they would, year after year, for brokers and customers.

For Covéa, it would be proof that a 100% broker-only model, built on trust and partnership, really does deliver. I’m incredibly proud of what this team has achieved and even prouder of how we’ve done it.