Steve Devine:Blog

Monday 23rd May 2011


Hi folks.

It was, to me, sadly inevitable. The Hammers have been dodging relegation too often in the last three seasons. They are where they are strictly on merit.

Hopefully it will enable the club to clear the decks and rebuild a team that’s capable of defending, as well as creating and taking chances to score goals. Like proper football teams do. Until they do, I am going to concentrate on my golf, which is in a similar state to the Hammers.

I hosted what I believe was a landmark Protect meeting last week. Protect’s roots are the Creditor Insurance market, although we have changed our constitution and now represent an association of companies and individuals working in the UK protection markets (including non-insurance products and services).

Our website at www.protect-aci.org.uk provides far more information than I can here. Alternatively just contact me if you would like to know more about Protect and its events.

Included in the speaker line-up last week were Ben Heffer of Defaqto, who spoke about the last remains of the PPI market and the emerging short-term income protection market, which he believes will replace PPI.

Following Ben was Kevin Carr, managing director of the Protection Review, and Clive Waller, co-chairman of the Income Protection Task Force.

I for one found it fascinating to hear their views on the short-term (Ben) and long-term (Kevin and Clive) income protection markets.

I hope it heralds the start of an era when different market segments and product silos start communicating by talking and listening to each other. The power of technology, and online commerce, will drive change in products and delivery that will no doubt cut through many or all of the long-standing lines of demarcation, ie group, individual, employee benefits.

The future is already here in the present, it’s just not as big as it will be. But I expect the delivery and distribution channels to change.  

Another notable speaker at the Protect meeting was my friend James Scouller. James is an executive coach and he is taking up speaking engagements to help him promote his brilliant new book that is being published on May 24. The book has its own website at www.three-levels-of-leadership.com  which will tell you far more about the book than I can.

Suffice to say that James gave us a brilliant session on leadership at Protect. If you are a leader, or you want to be one, I strongly recommend you read this book. It will certainly make you think about what you have to do to be a better one.

That’s it from me. I am still recovering from BIBA last week. Take care.


Steve Devine is chairman of Protect, the association of companies and individuals working in the UK protection markets