Julie Gibbons’ role at AbbeyAutoline relies on strong leadership skills to keep the business moving forward.
Read how she became a Managing Director at AbbeyAutoline
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I became Managing Director of Northern Ireland’s largest insurance broker AbbeyAutoline in 2019, with the key responsibility of leading the business and personal lines sales teams across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This is a very exciting period of growth for the company with us very much focused on building our business insurance capability and adding to our already very experienced and knowledgeable commercial insurance team.
We are newly rebranded and part of a strong group of companies, so we are in an excellent place to attain our growth ambitions. Prior to this I had worked in Microsoft, a high-tech US start up and KPMG Consulting.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I loved languages – they never felt like work to me.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I studied Law with French at Queen’s University Belfast. I also completed an Executive MBA at the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, at University College Dublin.
How did you get into your area of work?
There is a joke among insurance professionals that no one ever starts a career in this sector on purpose, but the reality is financial services is such an interesting area for people considering career options. I became a director of Autoline 15 years ago as I loved the buzz of a sales organisation and admired the customer centric ethos of the business.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
Given my broad managerial background, I realised that similar business principles apply to all organisations regardless of sector. So when I landed in insurance, I stayed because I enjoyed the ‘can do’ company culture and liked the people I worked with and I also recognised the potential for further growth opportunity, all of which is still true all those years later!
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
The professional development and career opportunities in AbbeyAutoline enable school or college leavers to go into the business and progress throughout the company. We like to promote from within where possible and some key people have worked their way through the organisation thus bringing fantastic knowledge to their roles. Some of our commercial teams have achieved degree level professional qualifications in partnership with insurer scholarship programmes.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
There are many different routes into senior roles within the organisation. Working your way up through the organisation, possibly gaining qualifications on the way is also an excellent alternative route to coming through a typical managerial function.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
The main personal skill my job requires is to be a good communicator. Leadership skills are very important to inspire the trust and confidence of the team around you to achieve the company’s ambitious growth strategy. Whilst a thorough understanding of the business is critical, the ability to form great relationships and bring people with you can be as much to do with your personality ‘fit’ as your technical knowledge.
What does a typical day entail?
There is definitely no typical day, particularly during Covid times. One day could be spent talking to clients, insurers and branch staff, and another could be spent in board meetings. This job entails every aspect of the business, so you never know what will come up one day to the next, but that is what makes it so enjoyable.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
I work very closely with various teams, particularly the business insurance team, given our growth plans, so there are currently a lot of Microsoft Teams calls, chatting through opportunities and trying to solve problems. I also meet insurers and clients which I really enjoy. This is a demanding job in terms of the volume and variety of issues requiring my attention, so it is important to prioritise and surround yourself with a positive ‘can do’ team to push on and grow the business.
Why is what you do important?
Every business requires strong leadership to keep moving forward. What I do is important to ensure that we continue to provide good value, high quality products and excellent service to our customers, to be innovative in our market and to ensure that staff feel supported in their efforts and valued as a team. People buy from people, so I think it is vitally important that everyone within the organisation understands what part they play in achieving our goals so that we all share the same purpose.
How has Covid-19 impacted your business/role?
I am very grateful that our sector is somewhat resilient in the face of the pandemic, with 9 out of 10 personal and business customers choosing to keep their insurance with us year on year. However, we do see customers cautious in the face of economic uncertainty. I am so grateful that the knowledge and expertise we have in our team is currently being used to reassure and assist our personal lines and business clients whenever possible.
What adjustments have you had to make?
In the initial stages of the pandemic it was a challenge to get our 450 staff working from home. Our IT team was fantastic, working around the clock and our staff were amazing in their adaptation to working from home, hitting the ground running and helping our customers with no dip in service levels.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
I would encourage anyone to do what they love and reward and progression will come. Enjoy the journey and work hard to achieve your personal goals. Also seriously look at insurance and financial services for rewarding and exciting career paths.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
I think I would like to do something creative involving food or travel. You can’t go wrong with food and travel, not that we are seeing much of either at the moment!
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Believe in yourself – be confident and use your voice, stay humble, and appreciate that you are only ever as good as your team.
Describe your ideal day off.
Walking in the Mournes or sailing on Carlingford Lough with my family or friends.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Ensure you do your research on the organisation you’re applying to as the cultures and values need to align with your personal goals.
View the latest job opportunities currently available with AbbeyAutoline.
Follow nijobfinder on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to see the latest jobs and to ensure your dream job won’t pass you by.