MEET THE MD: ALISON PIERCY, SCARBOROUGH

It’s three years since Scarborough insurance broker AS Green became part of the JM Glendinning group, and Alison Piercy took the helm at the business as Managing Director. Alison reflects on her time with the group and looks ahead to a bright future for JM Glendinning in North Yorkshire.

How did you start your career in the insurance industry?

My career originally began in the financial services industry, and I trained during my time at Skipton Building Society, finishing my qualifications when I joined AS Green in 1999. At the time, the firm had a large financial services department. My career progression was a gradual one, working my way through different roles until I became a director in 2004, taking over a small commercial account in 2006 and growing it.

What brought you to JM Glendinning?

As with so many things in my career: opportunity. Discussions about becoming part of the JM Glendinning group were happening at around the same time as the former AS Green Managing Director, Tony Green, was planning his exit from the business. I agreed to join the group and step into the MD role with Tony as Chairman, and I’ve never looked back.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The variety, and the people I work with. Our team is superb: brilliant at what they do and incredibly supportive. And the variety I have in my role is fantastic. You never quite know what each day will bring; there’s always something happening in the business – be that helping a client solve a problem or working on something with one of our team.

I’m a very driven person. I love what I do; I love working with our team; and I genuinely enjoy going to work every day. I take huge pride in seeing the business grow and develop and being able to say ‘look at what we’ve achieved.’

What’s the secret of your success?

I think it’s down to being open and honest with people, and thoroughly enjoying what I do.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?

Embrace any opportunity that is offered to you. Take on board all of the advice you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ll learn far more quickly that way.

What’s next for JM Glendinning in Scarborough?

There are exciting times ahead. We are forging closer links with JM Glendinning in the North East, which will enable both businesses to benefit from the strengths and specialities of our respective offices.

These links will help us support more businesses whose insurance needs are deemed ‘non-standard’, which simply means that they don’t tick the boxes most insurers work to when it comes to insurance cover. Working more closely together will also enable the team in Newcastle to offer personal lines insurance to their fast growing client base, so there’s a real win-win for both businesses and, most importantly, for our clients.

What Nick Houghton, JM Glendinning group MD says:

“When you acquire an insurance broking business, you’re only really buying the people. And Alison stepping up to the plate to run the business, whilst Tony slowly stepped down, was a very easy decision to make. The integration has gone really well and we have a cracking team of people, which is growing.

“At a time when most brokers in the area have now closed their offices, I’m very proud of the fact that we are thriving in the town by delivering a great service to local people and businesses. It’s onwards and upwards for Alison and the team in Scarborough!”