Skip to content

Meeting: Lucy Leech - Account Handler Interview

Date: 2025-11-26 Attendee: Lucy Leech (LL) - Account Handler Interviewer: TD (Tom) Manager: Martine Works closely with: Rhys (Executive) Location: Remote (Lucy working from home) Schedule: In office Tuesdays and Thursdays

Overview

Lucy is an Account Handler at EF who works closely with Rhys (an Executive). She handles the administrative and operational aspects of renewals while the Executive takes the lead on client relationships. Her primary workflow centers on an Excel spreadsheet for tracking renewals and extensive use of Outlook for correspondence, with Acturis as the system of record.

Current Workflow & Tools

Primary Work Tools

  1. Excel Spreadsheet (most important)
  2. Provided by manager Martine
  3. Generated from Acturis renewal lists (6-month periods)
  4. Includes: client names, target dates, completion status, insurer details
  5. Tracks: 8-week pre-renewal deadline, whether invited, completed status
  6. Color-coordinated for easy visual tracking
  7. Lucy works off multiple tabs: Rhys's list, Jamie's list, and her own

  8. Handles ALL renewals on Rhys's and Jamie's tabs (does admin/quotes/emails)

  9. Outlook (second most important)

  10. All correspondence comes through email
  11. Mid-term adjustments requests

  12. Day-to-day client communication

  13. Acturis (system of record)

  14. Used for policy management
  15. Electronic file storage
  16. Task/diary management (available but underutilized)
  17. E-Trade integration for ~25-30% of Lucy's policies

Dual-Update Problem

Critical inefficiency identified: Lucy must update renewal status in TWO places: 1. Excel spreadsheet - for visibility to manager and team 2. Acturis - the actual system of record with live policy data

Reason for spreadsheet: Better interface, easier visual tracking, color-coding, manager oversight

Consequence: Double data entry, risk of inconsistency

Safety net: Martine runs weekly renewal lists through Acturis to catch anything missed on spreadsheet

Spreadsheet Generation Process

  • Martine exports 6-month renewal lists from Acturis
  • Can filter by Account Handler name
  • Export button creates spreadsheet
  • Multiple handlers' lists combined into one workbook with separate tabs
  • Unclear if tabs are created manually or automatically

Renewals Process Walkthrough

E-Trade Policy Renewal (25-30% of Lucy's work)

Time estimate: 1-3 hours depending on complexity

Process: 1. Check 8-week pre-renewal date on spreadsheet 2. Open policy in Acturis 3. Review electronic file for correspondence and documents 4. Contact client 6 weeks before to confirm details unchanged 5. Click "Process Renewal" in Acturis (for E-Trade policies) 6. System automatically queries insurer via E-Trade 7. Renewal quote returns (from current insurer only) 8. Check if price is competitive vs. last year 9. Re-market it anyway using "Clone as RFQ" feature 10. Submit to E-Trade system to gather competitive quotes 11. Multiple quotes return (typically 4-8 insurers quote/decline) 12. Review each quote carefully: - Changes highlighted in blue - Compare limits, excesses, coverage additions/removals - Check for standard additions (e.g., kidnap & ransom) 13. Make placement decision (EF decides, not client, unless major change) 14. Generate documents from Acturis 15. Customize the pre-renewal letter: - Update "Assessment of demands and needs" paragraph - Explain market approach, placement reasoning - Add full summary of cover (Lucy's preference) - Customize based on client communication history 16. Send email to client with documents 17. Mark as "invited" on spreadsheet 18. Chase client if no response (watch renewal date) 19. Once client accepts, mark as "completed" on spreadsheet AND Acturis

Manual (Non E-Trade) Policy Renewal (70-75% of Lucy's work)

Time estimate: 1-2 hours per renewal

Difference from E-Trade: - Must contact insurers directly via email/phone - Create submission documents manually - Input premiums, conditions, excesses manually - More personalized and detailed - Typically bigger policies with more components - Sometimes uses insurer web portals for quotes - Sometimes purely email correspondence

Submission process: - Create proposal/submission document with all client information - Send to multiple insurers via email - Track responses in Outlook - Save all correspondence back to Acturis electronic file manually

Email Integration Issues

Acturis Feature: Can reference case/policy codes in Outlook subject line to auto-link emails

Lucy's experience: "I don't find that that works"

Current workaround: Manually saves all email correspondence back to Acturis electronic file - "a bit of a ball ache"

Acturis Task Manager (Underutilized)

Feature available: Diary task manager in Acturis

Lucy's usage: "I never keep up with it. I'm the worst with it."

Previous experience: Used task manager extensively at previous employer (Clear Insurance)

Current preference: Physical lists and Excel spreadsheet

Company push: EF encourages use of task manager, but adoption is mixed

Task Manager Demonstration

Lucy showed how it works: - Create diary task for specific client - Set due date (e.g., "Chase renewal advice by Friday") - Attach relevant email/correspondence - Task appears in task list with due date - Can mark complete and save to file for audit trail - Visible to others if they look

Lucy's assessment: "It does [seem quite good]. I need to get better at using it."

Adoption pattern: "Some people use it, some people don't"

Previous Experience: Clear Insurance

Lucy previously worked at Clear Insurance (larger broker) also using Acturis.

Key Difference: Templates

At Clear: - Much more detailed and personalized templates - Separate template for each line of business: - Commercial combined - Media policies - Property owners - Plugin system for selecting appropriate template - Could select template type when generating documents

At EF: - Generic templates used across different business types - Always pulls through property owners template by default - Contains outdated/irrelevant content (e.g., Grenfell Tower fire references) - Must manually delete irrelevant sections for other policy types (e.g., media)

Lucy's feedback: - Brought up better templates at latest quarterly meeting - Management looking into it - Sees this consulting project as good timing

Acturis Utilization Issues

Core problem: "We aren't utilizing [Acturis]... not everything is on Acturis... it becomes slightly less beneficial"

Lucy's assessment: More of a process and culture issue than a technology issue

Specific underutilization examples:

  1. Email correspondence: Not all communication is saved to Acturis electronic file

  2. Getting better recently but inconsistent

  3. Risk details: Often not filled out properly when going into renewals

  4. Should be complete from previous year
  5. Teams starting to use it more consistently

  6. "Getting into that habit of doing it"

  7. Task management: Available but not consistently used across team

Impact: Reduces value of the system, creates inefficiency, requires workarounds

Client Variation

High-touch clients: - 50+ emails over renewal period - Month-long back-and-forth - Detailed discussions about coverage changes - Customized correspondence

Low-touch clients: - May not respond to pre-renewals - "Just renew it the same as last year" - One email total - Want broker to handle everything

Documentation requirement: All email correspondence should be saved to electronic file regardless of client type

E-Trade vs. Manual Re-marketing

Why re-market via E-Trade even with good renewal terms?

  1. Client's best interest - fiduciary duty to check market
  2. Easy to do - system does the work automatically
  3. No relationship cost - insurers not annoyed by automated quotes
  4. May find better deals - even with good renewal terms

Renewal Terms Advantage

Loyalty discount concept: - Current insurer more likely to offer competitive terms - Renewal discount for existing customer - Insurer already holds the policy/knows the risk

Process: 1. Get renewal terms from current insurer first 2. Then re-market to competitors 3. Competitors don't see the renewal price (only risk details) 4. Compare all options 5. Place with best overall terms (price + coverage)

Why NOT always re-market manually?

Relationship management with insurers: - If you approach insurers constantly but never give them business, they get annoyed - Must maintain good relationships with insurer panel - Balance between market competition and relationship preservation

JL/Rhys's perspective (from previous interview): Can't approach every insurer every time due to relationship considerations

E-Trade advantage: Removes this constraint since it's automated - no relationship cost

Decision-Making Authority

Who chooses insurer placement? - EF decides in most cases (Lucy/Rhys) - Client informed but not asked to choose

Exception cases: - When needs have changed substantially - When switching insurers - When coverage changes significantly

Decision criteria: 1. Client interest first - best terms regardless of commission 2. If better premium but less commission but same coverage → place it 3. If better premium but worse coverage → don't place it, or present options

Client communication: - Always explain what changed with new insurer - Detail market approach ("approached X markets") - Explain placement reasoning - Give option to stay with current insurer if they quoted

Quote Review Process

Key task: Reviewing competitive quotes from E-Trade system

What to check: - Changes highlighted in blue in Acturis - Coverage additions/removals - Limit of Indemnity changes - Excess changes - Standard inclusions (sometimes irrelevant, e.g., kidnap & ransom)

Complexity: Must understand insurance coverage details to spot meaningful differences

Time required: Can add 2+ hours to renewal process for thorough comparison

Time Estimates Summary

  • E-Trade renewal (simple): ~1 hour
  • E-Trade renewal (re-marketed): 1-3 hours
  • Manual renewal: 1-2 hours
  • Plus: Chasing time after initial send (variable)

Key Pain Points Identified

1. Double Data Entry (Excel + Acturis)

  • Must update renewal status in two systems
  • Risk of inconsistency
  • Weekly reconciliation required by manager
  • Spreadsheet exists purely for better UI/visibility

2. Template Quality

  • Generic templates require manual editing
  • Outdated content (Grenfell Tower references)
  • No line-of-business-specific templates
  • Manual deletion of irrelevant sections

3. Email Integration Unreliable

  • Auto-linking feature doesn't work reliably
  • Manual save-back required ("ball ache")
  • Risk of correspondence not being captured

4. Acturis Underutilization

  • Risk details often incomplete
  • Email correspondence inconsistently saved
  • Task manager available but unused
  • Cultural/process issue more than technology

5. Manual Portal Work (for non E-Trade)

  • Must use insurer web portals or email
  • Manual creation of submission documents
  • Manual input of terms/conditions/pricing
  • Time-consuming for larger policies

Opportunities Identified

Immediate Opportunities

  1. Eliminate double data entry
  2. Make Acturis task manager/dashboard more usable
  3. Replace Excel spreadsheet with Acturis views

  4. Or: Create integration to sync spreadsheet with Acturis

  5. Improve templates

  6. Create line-of-business-specific templates
  7. Remove outdated content
  8. More intelligent template selection

  9. Lucy has requested this already

  10. Fix email integration

  11. Investigate why auto-linking doesn't work
  12. Improve reliability of Outlook-Acturis connection

  13. Reduce manual save-back burden

  14. Increase Acturis adoption

  15. Process/culture change, not technology
  16. Training and consistency enforcement
  17. Make task manager more attractive to use

Medium-Term Opportunities

  1. Submission document automation (for manual renewals)
  2. Auto-generate from Acturis data
  3. Reduce manual document creation

  4. Consistent formatting for insurers

  5. Chase automation

  6. Automated reminders to clients approaching deadline
  7. Templates for chase emails

  8. Track response rates

  9. Quote comparison assistance

  10. AI to highlight meaningful differences in coverage
  11. Flag common issues (excess changes, limit changes)
  12. Risk scoring of coverage gaps

Strategic Opportunities

  1. E-Trade expansion
  2. Currently only 25-30% of Lucy's book
  3. Could more policies be E-Trade eligible?

  4. Significant time savings if conversion possible

  5. Better Acturis utilization as culture shift

  6. Complete risk details consistently
  7. Save all correspondence consistently
  8. Use task manager consistently
  9. Would make system more valuable, reduce workarounds

Follow-Up Questions

  • How is Martine's spreadsheet actually generated? (ask Martine)
  • What percentage of policies could theoretically be E-Trade vs. must be manual?
  • Why doesn't the Outlook-Acturis email linking work reliably?
  • What would make the Acturis task manager more appealing to use?
  • How many insurer web portals does Lucy use for manual renewals?
  • What's the typical time to create a manual submission document?
  • Could Lucy show the manual renewal process in detail? (follow-up session)
  • What makes a client high-touch vs. low-touch?
  • How does commission structure affect placement decisions in practice?

Strategic Insights

Validation of Priority #1 (Renewals)

Lucy's interview validates renewals as the top priority and adds important detail:

  1. Dual system friction: Excel + Acturis double-entry is pure waste
  2. Template issues are real: Affects every renewal, requires manual editing
  3. E-Trade is significantly faster: 25-30% of book takes less time than 70-75%
  4. Manual renewals are substantial: 1-2 hours each for the majority of work

Comparison with JL's Interview

Similarities: - Both mention insurer web portals for manual renewals - Both identify submission document creation as manual work - Both work with incomplete data in Acturis - Both save correspondence manually to Acturis

Differences: - Lucy uses E-Trade much less (25-30% vs JL's ~70%) - Lucy uses Excel for tracking (JL may use different system?) - Lucy's focus: Client-segment renewals with Rhys/Jamie - JL's focus: HNW client renewals, insurer relationship friction

Acturis Underutilization Pattern

Consistent across interviews: - Risk details often incomplete - Email correspondence inconsistently captured - Available features (task manager) not used - Workarounds developed (Excel spreadsheet)

Root cause: Process/culture, not technology limitation

Impact: Reduces ROI on expensive Acturis system, forces manual workarounds

Excel Spreadsheet Insight

Why it exists: - Better visual interface than Acturis - Color-coding and filtering - Manager oversight easier - Team can see each other's progress

Cost: - Double data entry - Synchronization risk - Weekly reconciliation required

Implication: Acturis dashboard/task views need improvement, OR accept spreadsheet and integrate it

Next Steps

  1. Interview Martine (Lucy's manager)
  2. How is the renewal spreadsheet actually created?
  3. What reporting/oversight needs drive spreadsheet requirement?

  4. Would improved Acturis dashboards eliminate spreadsheet need?

  5. Shadow Lucy on manual renewal

  6. Observe full manual renewal process (non E-Trade)
  7. See insurer portal interactions
  8. Time each step

  9. Document submission creation process

  10. Investigate Outlook-Acturis integration

  11. Why doesn't email linking work reliably?
  12. Is this configuration issue or Acturis limitation?

  13. Can it be fixed or improved?

  14. Compare with Rhys/Jamie workflows

  15. Do Executives have same spreadsheet view?
  16. How do they divide work with Lucy?

  17. What's their perspective on templates/tools?

  18. Template improvement quick win

  19. Lucy already raised this in quarterly meeting
  20. Management already aware and interested
  21. Could be implemented before project end?
  22. Line-of-business-specific templates

Consultant Notes

Tone: Lucy was open and detailed, walked through processes clearly, acknowledged her own underuse of task manager without defensiveness.

Technical aptitude: Comfortable with systems, good at explaining workflows, clearly experienced with Acturis from previous employer (Clear).

Comparative insight: Lucy's experience at Clear (larger broker, better Acturis implementation) provides useful benchmark for what's possible.

Quick win opportunity: Template improvements already requested, management aware, clear ROI, could show early value from consulting engagement.

Cultural observation: "Some people use it, some people don't" - suggests team has flexibility in how they work, not heavily standardized processes. This could make change management easier OR harder depending on approach.

Key quote validity check: Lucy confirmed Acturis underutilization is process/culture issue when directly asked - this wasn't leading question, she agreed with framing.