Practical learning for the next generation of insurance professionals
The Insurance Academy is a new, non-commercial learning initiative designed to support the development of early-career professionals across the insurance market.
Delivered as part of Broker Expo on 8 October 2026 at the NEC Birmingham, the Academy brings together brokers, insurers, MGAs and claims professionals for an afternoon of practical, scenario-led learning focused on building confidence, capability and cross-industry understanding.
What is the Insurance Academy?
Insurance Academy is a free-to-attend, cross-industry programme designed around how the insurance market actually works in practice.
Rather than traditional panel sessions, the Academy focuses on:
- Real-world scenarios
- Live role-play sessions demonstrating how decisions and conversations unfold.
- Small-group roundtables with experienced practitioners.
- Opportunities to engage with mentors from across the market.
The aim is simple: to provide early-career professionals with the kind of exposure and practical insight that is often difficult to access day-to-day.
Why the Insurance Academy?
Across the market, there is a growing recognition that while entry into the industry has improved, development beyond the first few years can be inconsistent.
The Insurance Academy has been created in response to this, with a focus on:
- Building confidence in real-world professional conversations.
- Improving understanding of how different parts of the market interact.
- Supporting cross-industry collaboration from an early stage.
- Providing learning that is practical, not theoretical.
It is deliberately positioned as a non-commercial, level-playing-field environment, with no sponsorship, recruitment activity or sales content.
Advisory board
| Name | Role | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Kelly Statham | Learning & development manager | Brit Insurance |
| Hannah McMillan-O'Brien | Marketing manager | Legal & Contingency |
| Malia Brown | Marketing & comms director | Partners& |
| Natalie McClean | Chief people officer | Partners& |
| David Williams | Chairman | Fire Protection Association |
| Stephen Holmes | Director | Holmes Insurance Brokers |
| Alistair Danesh | Bdm & learning & development co-lead MGAA | Pen Underwriting |
| Lauren Nolloth | Skills, talent & leadership development | Ageas |
| Louise Lock | Head of talent acquisition & development | Ageas |
| Laura Brehaut | External affairs manager | Ageas |
| Kristie Cooper | Talent acquisition manager - early careers | AIG |
| Chloe Burrow | Associate director | Assured Partners |
| Nicci Dedman-Munro | Learning & development manager | Seventeen Group |
Who is it for?
The Insurance Academy is designed for early-career professionals across:
Typically, within their first 0–10 years in the industry, including:
What will you gain?
Participants will leave with:
- Greater confidence in professional conversations and decision-making.
- A clearer understanding of how the insurance ecosystem operates in practice.
- Exposure to real-world scenarios and experienced practitioners.
- New relationships across the market.
For organisations, the Academy provides a way to support early-career development while strengthening cross-industry understanding — at no cost and without commercial obligation.
