Profile – Airmic board member Clive Clarke believes that involving young members is a key challenge

Clive Clarke, Group Insurance Manager at Lloyd's Register Group Services Limited, is an active member of the Airmic board – a group of people that rarely see the limelight but work hard behind the scenes to ensure that the association delivers.

He joined Airmic ten years ago when he moved from broking to become head of group insurance at Associated British Ports; he was elected to the board in 2010. He also serves on the audit and finance committees and insurance steering group. If this seems like selfless commitment to a wider cause, Clarke is the first to admit that regular contact with senior practitioners under an Airmic umbrella can also be very helpful professionally.

“We’re a pretty lonely bunch in the insurance managers’ world. The ability to run things past other insurance managers with all their experience and knowledge can be invaluable,” he says.

Training and the acquisition of knowledge are the two aspects of membership that he finds most beneficial, especially Airmic Academy and the annual conference. “The ability to get training has always been valuable, and the Academy has taken that to a new level,” he says. “I encourage all my staff to take part.”

Sitting on the finance committee he has witnessed at first-hand how the association’s financial position has improved in recent years – part of what he sees as a steady advance across all fronts. He thinks it important to maintain momentum: “Continue to provide thought-provoking research, make sure that members see the value, be seen to spend our money for the benefit of members, keep improving the quality of the conference.”

One of the biggest challenges, he believes, is to engage young professionals in the association’s activities – and greater, better use of technology is a significant part of the answer.

“Young people use different methods of communication,” he says. “It’s a great organisation with great people, and I would advise any young professional to join Airmic. If there’s one thing more we can do it’s to make sure young people are involved.”

Clive Clarke career at a glance

Clive joined Lloyd’s Register in May 2012 in the newly created role of Group Insurance Manager. He is responsible for global leadership of all the insurance activities of the group whilst also having detailed involvement with data protection and risk management and is a member of the group’s risk committee.

He began his insurance career in 1987 at Marsh and held several senior claims positions with Marsh and Willis before he was headhunted in 2002 by Associated British Ports to the newly created position as Head of Group Insurance where he assisted in designing and enhancing their insurance programme.

In 2006 he joined Schroders as Group Insurance Manager. He had sole responsibility for all related insurance issues on a global basis and led the group to a globally compliant insurance programme across all its major covers.

He has been a member of Airmic since 2003 and currently sits on various committees as well as being a Board Director since 2010.  He was also on the UK Steering Group of PLUS and has spoken at insurance conferences both in the UK and Europe.  

Clive Clarke - Lloyd's Register Group Services Ltd