Pilates, the insurance supermarket offering advice and the Ryder Cup

Tuesday 20th April 2010

By Steve Devine, chair of Protect and business development manager at IGI Insurance Company

Thankfully attending my Monday night pilates class prevented me from watching the Liverpool v West Ham match. (seriously? Ed.)

I have abandoned all hope as far as the Hammers are concerned. It’s far easier to deal with rather than believing they will escape the drop.

Of far more immedate concern is that I am supposed to be flying off to Portugal on Friday morning for a golfing break just as a
new ash cloud is announced on the BBC News. I suspect my prospects of flying from Luton to Faro to play golf this Friday are about the same as
West Ham's survival chances. I will try not to get too stressed about it all.
 
Mind you, I did get a real treat last week when I attended the launch of Pure Options, a brand new income protection provider that has just entered the UK market. Pure Options is a general insurance broker specialising in offering income protection direct to the public. My thanks to their CEO Neville Allport and John O'Brien for inviting me to the launch event at Celtic Manor, and their generous hospitality, which was absolutely brilliant. 

The event was hosted at the new 2010 clubhouse and I was fortunate enough to play on the course, which will stage this year's Ryder Cup. I don't think my performance will get me a wild card entry but it was great to play the same course that will stage the third biggest sporting event in the world.

I would also give an unashamed plug to the illusionist Nicholas Einhorn who entertained the audience after the launch dinner in the evening. He was superb.
 
I am so glad that Pure Options is coming in to try and shake up the income protection market. The firm will have a panel of insurers but it will not be another comparison site. They want to ensure each customer obtains the best cover to suit their needs rather than just buying the cheapest from a range of quotations. To do this they will deliver a fully advised sale.
 
I will be certainly looking to get a Pure Options speaker at a forthcoming Protect meeting to talk about its proposition.
Talking about Protect (it’s time for another plug) our next meeting is on May 14th at the Marriott Marble Arch, London. We have a great line up of speakers that I am sure will attract another good attendance. If you are in the UK Protection market and would like to meet the likes of companies such as Pure Options and Pioneer Friendly who are introducing new thinking and products to the market, have a look at www.protect-aci.org.uk or contact me via this blog.
 
That's it from me, I wonder if it’s worth packing my suitcase for Friday...........

Steve Devine is business development manager at IGI insurance Company and chairs Protect - the Association of UK Creditor Insurers
Steve joined IGI this year from Cardif Pinnacle (formerly Pinnacle Insurance) where he spent 15 years, the last seven as the head of group corporate communications. Before that he was head of general insurance with Hambro Countrywide, the estate agency group.
Steve is married with four children and as a long-suffering West Ham fan he has learned to cope with difficult and extended lean times.