Board profile: Clive Clarke

Airmic’s second deputy chair says that communication and analytical skills are as important as qualifications.

There are many routes into a successful career in risk and insurance, according to Clive Clarke, Airmic’s second deputy chair and group insurance manager at Lloyds Register. And if he could give one piece of advice to young people coming into the profession today, it would be to find the path that works for them.

“You don’t have to go straight to London and get the top internship if that’s not right for you. If you don’t have the top grades, then you can start in a smaller way: the training and opportunities that regional companies offer can be invaluable.”

Clarke’s view is a reflection of his own career which has seen him work his way up from, in his own words, “a long way back” through a mixture of “good decisions and good luck” to senior roles in top companies.

Joining the Airmic board five years ago was therefore about giving something back. “I’m immensely proud to be part of such a successful and prestigious organisation. It gives me the chance to contribute and help others in their own careers. I would particularly like to help people that perhaps feel they are less qualified than others.”

The Airmic board doesn’t receive a lot of lime light, but Clarke says that having an effective and forward-thinking board is vital to Airmic’s success. “The quality of people is excellent. They represent a good cross-section of professionals which enables us to put a finger on the pulse of the membership and make sure we are doing what’s actually important for our members. There is a natural and constitutional rotation of directors and this keeps ideas and perspectives fresh which is crucial.”

So what does he think is key to success for a career as a risk professional? “The ability to communicate. That’s what I look for when I hire someone and it’s just as important as qualifications. Most problems in companies arise from poor communication: senior management thinking they’re doing a good job when they’re not.”

And if you want to be an influencer at the top of a company, “learn to speak their language. When you’re presenting a report to the CFO, be analytical and put the data in a format that will make the CFO sit up and listen. These skills are just as important as lots of qualifications in my opinion. All risk managers have an analytical journey to go on and we at Airmic need to think about how we can help them on that journey.”

Clive Clarke