Navigators & General celebrate 100 year anniversary
02/28/2021
Navigators & General, part of the Zurich Group, is proud to celebrate a hundred years of marine insurance.
On 1st March 1921, following an idea from Captain William Coombs, Navigators & General (N&G) Insurance company was incorporated. Today kicks off a year of celebration that since then N&G have been proudly protecting shipmates across generations.
N&G is based in Brighton and many of our employees themselves are boating enthusiasts. The team understand that it’s more than just a boat, it’s about a passion that is passed down through generations.
We caught up with Maria Cospito, Head of N&G since 2018, to get her thoughts on the milestone.
What do you think this anniversary means to your customers?
To be one of the UK’s leading boat insurers for so long shows that we are reliable and can be trusted. N&G has been insuring generations of customers and has been able to adapt to their ever changing needs to ensure success for such a long time.
How has N&G managed to maintain such strong relationships with customers/brokers?
Our customers and brokers are at the heart of our business. Any decision we make is with the customers’ best interest in mind. It also helps that we share the same passion and speak the same language as our customers, as just like them we are passionate about sailing and have a real enthusiasm for the boats and marine businesses we insure.
How has the market changed over recent years?
Recently we have seen significant disruption and uncertainty in the UK marine insurance market, but we have continued to provide continuity and reassurance to brokers and customers alike during this period of instability. Over the longer term, our stability has helped ensure we remain able to commit to our customers no matter what has happened in the market.
What makes the N&G customer experience so special?
I believe the key differentiator for N&G is our people, who truly are marine specialists. Our team of experts are all based in a single location in Brighton, allowing for a seamless transfer of knowledge between underwriting, claims and sales. But more than that, our team really understand the customers and market we are serving.
How valuable is the experience longer-serving members of staff bring to the team?
In short, extremely valuable. Eight members of staff have been with N&G for over 20 years! They have the knowledge and the expertise required to be successful in a specialist market and are great mentors for our more junior talents. We take great pride in having so many long-serving colleagues and don’t ever take having them in our team for granted.
How important is it that N&G staff share the same passion for boating as your customers?
It is fundamental and a real differentiation point for us. We speak the same language as our customers and can better understand their needs. That helps us develop products that are relevant and meet the customers’ needs. But more than that, it helps us understand how important it is that we deal with a claim efficiently to put the customers back in the water as quickly as we can.
How has being a part of the Zurich Insurance Group helped sustain N&G, and what lessons are given and taken between brands?
Zurich provides us with the expertise in specific areas like governance and marketing, whilst we provide the knowledge and presence in a niche market which helps support Zurich’s growth and contribute to the overall profitability.
In your time as Head of N&G, what is the one thing that has made you proud to work here?
Winning the Specialist Insurer of the Year award in 2020 was a big achievement, but I see reasons to be proud every day whether that be challenging ourselves to be the best we can be or when we go the extra mile to support one of our customers or our communities. At Navigators and General we are committed to contributing to the marine communities in which we operate. For example, for every customer rescued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), we donate £100 to their charity. Things like that are what make me the proudest.
How does N&G continue to evolve with the changing needs of customers?
We listen to our customers and brokers and take every piece of feedback and advice as a gift. We use that to improve and stay relevant in the market.
For more information about the work that Navigators and General do and the 100 year anniversary, click here.
