Russell Higginbotham, CII President and CEO, Swiss Re Solutions, hosted the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) President’s Dinner yesterday evening (28 November) at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in the City of London, with a keynote speech from newly appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, Bim Afolami MP.
The dinner was the first since the pandemic and provided an opportunity for senior figures from across the insurance and financial service professions, politicians, members of the CII New Generation Programme, and others to come together to reflect on 2023 and consider the future.
Bim Afolami MP thanked attendees for the work done to return the UK to being a world-leading financial sector and set out the government’s ambitions to develop a regulatory framework to better encourage growth and competitiveness throughout the insurance ecosystem.
On his time as President of the CII, Russell Higginbotham said: “It has been an honour for me to be the 111th President of the CII. My presidential theme for this year has been ‘resilience’, which can be demonstrated in all manner of ways. It can be at a global level, as we address matters of sustainability. Or, at a sector level, as we collectively find solutions to new insurance challenges. For firms, it can be negotiating the unexpected, and for individuals it can mean how we respond in the most adverse of circumstances. Enabling individual, firm, societal and global resilience is what insurance is there to do; providing a safety net of cover when things go wrong is what insurance is all about.
The CII is here to help build trust in insurance. By building trust, encouraging professionalism, and providing continuing professional development, the CII, our hundreds of dedicated volunteers, and international partners ensure that the people who work in the insurance sector are best placed to develop the right products and to support the customers they serve.”
During the event, Russell Higginbotham honoured Melanie Jordan of the CII Local Institute Network Forum (LINF) and Allison Potts, Chief Executive of the Insurance Institute of London with President’s Awards for their outstanding contribution to the advancement and work of the organisation over many years.
