C&C expands commercial team 

Stockport-headquartered C&C Insurance Brokers has announed the appointment of Kimberley Livell Smith, who joins the firm as a Senior Account Executive in the Commercial Team.

Previously at Grosvenor Insurance Brokers for almost seven years and with over 14 years in the sector, Kimberley brings a wealth of experience across liability, PI, haulage, high net worth, agricultural, and marine both in the UK and on an international level. She even managed a property portfolio in Gibraltar. Having said that, a speciality of Kimberley’s is equine, having worked with many racehorse owners in recent years, including Michael Owen’s Bloodstock and Manor House stable, as well as handling the Bolesworth account.

Initially to be based from the C&C office in Stockport, Kimberley is already well acquainted with some of her colleagues, Phil Caffrey, Laura Corbett and Olly Parker, from having worked together at Towergate.

Like many in the industry, Kimberley says that she just fell into insurance. Having completed a language degree and being able to speak French and Spanish, her first job was at The BigWord – supplying translation and interpreting services. But with a rolling contract, Kimberley needed a permanent position to cover rental payments, so taxi and minibus liability it was! But once in role, she discovered that her communication skills mixed with her ability to negotiate put her in a great place to support her clients. Kimberley said of her approach:

“I’m a big believer in the whole ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ approach. I very much fly the flag for my clients, and if there’s something tricky or a bit unusual or hard to place, I’m really up for the challenge! I like to be able to say, well, actually I found the market for that. But the key to achieving that is having insurer relationships, which comes back to having strong communication skills.”

Kimberley has worked with all manner of clients, whether one-man bands, large fleets, or high net worth individuals, which has given her a solid understanding of a broad range of people types. That said, she was always unsure about calling herself an equine specialist. Over time, though, she’s come to appreciate that, given her considerable experience in the sector, she absolutely is a specialist. Although, in reality, she has multiple areas of speciality; she continued:

“Not everyone can do equine. It’s quite tricky and clients like to deal with people who know what they’re talking about – a bit like the mariners. They want you to know one end of a boat from another. They want you to understand their language, and they want you to understand their unique risks, which I do. So, I suppose I’ve discovered that I have specialisms rather than seeking them out!“

Of joining C&C Insurance Brokers, Kimberly said:

“Having been at Grosvenor for seven years, I was just ready for a new environment and fresh challenges. I knew Phil from our Towergate days, and he had lined up a Teams interview with him and Malc. At the end of the interview, I was offered a job there and then! I couldn’t believe it! It was a bit of a shock because if you’d have asked me this time last year, if I’d be working for another brokerage. I’d have said, absolutely not. No way. Once I’d decided to leave, though, I received several offers, but a move to the C&C Commercial Team just felt right.

“I got on so well with Malc. You sometimes get MDs who sit in their ivory towers and haven’t got a clue about the business. But Malc is very involved and was on the interview, which spoke volumes to me. It’s not like my role is super senior, but there was the MD taking an interest. Incredible”

Kimberley’s first day was straight in at the deep end with a visit to BIBA in Manchester and meeting 30-40 new colleagues.

When she’s not solving challenges for clients, Kimberley loves to explore her artistic side. Not long before her little boy was born, she painted something for him on his bedroom wall. Her partner had never seen her draw and was amazed. Raising a toddler doesn’t allow for huge amounts of free time, but Kimberley has got the bug again and is looking to take up art classes. She also loves to travel, being outdoors, gardening, and also plays both the piano and the flute.

Welcoming Kimberley to the team, C&C Managing Director, Malcolm Cooke, said:

“It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome Kimberley to the Commercial Team. Given how highly thought of she was by people already here, people whom I already trust, I was confident that the interview would go well. But Kimberley really is a find with such a broad range of experience yet with such a detailed understanding of the equine and marine markets. Her approach to client service also chimed with the philosophy we’ve adopted for 50 years. It’s fantastic to be able to welcome Kimberley to the C&C family!”