Congratulations to the winners of the Protection Guru awards 2021

Protection is one of the cornerstones of the Financial Planning process. However it can sometimes be overlooked in terms of recognition. That’s why we at IFA Magazine were particularly pleased to see examples of excellence in protection recognised by these awards. We congratulate all the winners – including those shown in the above photograph from the event.

Protection Guru, the ultimate guide to life insurance, critical illness and income protection has announced the winners of its first Protection Guru Awards 2021, established to recognise the leading lights of the protection industry.

A celebration of the hard work and dedication of both advisers and insurers over the last eighteen months, the awards are split into four different categories: Individual Adviser Awards, Adviser Firm Awards, Insurer Awards and Prestige Awards.

Ian McKenna, founder of Protection Guru and Director of FTRC, commented: “At Protection Guru we witness first-hand the amazing work carried out by the protection industry, and not least over the last eighteen months. We strongly felt that it was important to recognise those who have gone above and beyond, from established advisers to new entrants in the market. In creating these awards we wanted to take a fresh approach, so we have included many categories not usually measured, such as recognising the growing use of social media, and categories recognising new advisers and start-up firms. Additionally, our insurer awards recognise insurers meeting specific client needs rather than being based on contract types.

“We have received some fantastic entries and we want to thank everyone who entered. There were some inspiring submissions, demonstrating the difference the protection industry can have on the lives of people and their families, and we express our huge congratulations to all the winners.”

Adam Higgs, head of research at Protection Guru, commented: “The protection industry – both insurers and advisers – do so much work behind the scenes to ensure customers have the right protection and support. The Protection Guru Awards have therefore been created to showcase this work and highlight those companies and individuals who are continuing to innovate and adapt in our constantly changing market. In particular, the Prestige Awards category recognises those who have gone the extra mile in helping to build and grow the protection industry’s reputation, from advisers who have supported their clients through the claims process and delivered an improved outcome, to rewarding product launches that brought true benefits to consumers.”

“As judges we were overwhelmed by the quality of the entries we received across the board. We were particularly proud to read through the array of claims stories and things that both advisers and insurers are doing to continually improve the claims experience. These really highlighted the benefits of having an adviser’s support through a claim.”

The winners of the Protection Guru Awards 2021: