Commercial Director Claims Ireland

Davies is a leading professional services and technology business, serving insurance and other highly regulated markets.  Davies has a ~7,000 strong team of professionals across the UK, Ireland, Bermuda, the US, Canada, Spain, Switzerland & India with global headquarters in the City of London.

Davies has annual revenues in excess of £700m, with more than 1,200 clients.  In the past nine years, Davies has delivered average annual organic revenue growth of ~8%, and inorganically has added more than 50 bolt-on acquisitions to its growing platform over that time.  Davies has been PE-backed since 2007 and is currently owned by BC Partners, HGGC, AIMCo, management and staff. 

Summary of role

The Commercial Director - Davies Claims Ireland is a multi-functional leadership role that will be responsible for parts of the Irish business, delegated by the Head of Ireland.   The role involves both operational and strategic leadership of their areas. Delivering operational excellence, exceptional customer service, a quality service, and achieving profitable growth, as well as contributing to the evolution of our Irish proposition to the market to include the exploitation of cross sell opportunities, new product development, supporting client account management and development of new business.   This role requires exceptional leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the Irish insurance market, particularly property, casualty and motor TPA space.

The successful candidate will have significant experience of delivering operational excellence, successful strategic leadership, driving growth, have a high profile in the Irish insurance market in providing cost effective, quality claims related solutions to insurers within a highly regulated environment.

Role responsibilities include:

For those business areas which are delegated by the Director of Claims Ireland;

1. Strategic Leadership:
   1. Provide visionary and strategic leadership to the business area leaders and support their development in developing new business, cross sell, driving innovation, continuous improvement and profitable growth.
   2. Develop and implement a comprehensive sales & growth strategy driving both profitable organic and non organic revenue growth as well as EBIDA and margin growth via operational improvements.
   3. Devise and implement with the team a structure that delivers optimum client account management and strategic client account planning leading to growth and client retention.
   4. Instil a sense of unified purpose, collaboration and high performance by devising, sharing and engraining a vision of the future for our Irish colleagues, which includes meaningful career development and opportunities, underpinned by a strong sense of connection to the wider Davies group and in particular Davies UK&I
   5. Collaborate with the Head of Ireland to define divisional objectives and contribute to the overall corporate strategy.
   6. Develop and implement strategic initiatives, business plans, and budgets to drive performance and achieve the revenue target.
2. Financial Management
   1. Overall responsibility for the performance of their business areas, to include delivery of the budget and the executions of plans to achieve strategic growth objectives contributing to Davies UK&I and the wider group.
   2. Deliver effective monitoring of financial performance, analysis of variances, division and execution of required course correction, accurate and timely forecasting and deliver cost management control measures.
   3. Oversee the delivery of group wide initiatives for their area ensuring delivery on agreed value and cost savings.
   4. Implement strategies to improve revenue generation, cost optimisation, and profitability.
3. Operational Excellence:
   1. Devise and implement with their leadership team target operating models, ensuring a regular programme of analysis to ensure full optimisation and maximum value.  
   2. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
   3. Implement best practices and processes to optimise operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
   4. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement strategies to address areas of improvement.
   5. Identify talent gaps and develop succession plans to ensure a strong leadership pipeline.
   6. In particular, develop the members of their leadership team with a view to increasing autonomy to create a plentiful succession pipeline and capacity to expand spans of control to facilitate and support future growth.
   7. Foster a culture of collaboration and excellence. Drive an inclusive and engaged culture with a focus on people wellbeing and meaningful career development. 
   8. Streamline processes, procedures, and systems to enhance profitability through efficiency, and/or productivity.
   9. Deliver a quality service to clients, against client metrics, KPIs and high levels of customer service to be measured by client retention.
4. Change Management and Change Behaviours:
   1. Lead change management initiatives within the division, ensuring smooth transitions and minimising disruption.
   2. Foster a culture of change by encouraging and promoting behaviours that support organisational growth and adaptation.
   3. Champion innovation and continuous improvement, driving a mindset of agility and flexibility.
5. Stakeholder Management:
   1. Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
   2. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and with the Davies UK&I Leadership team, promoting effective communication and alignment of goals.
6. Risk Management and Compliance:
   1. Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards within Davies Claims Ireland.
   2. Identify and mitigate operational and regulatory risks, implementing effective risk management protocols.
   3. Stay updated on legal, compliance, and market trends, providing guidance and recommendations to senior management.
7. Digital First
   1. Future proofing the business through the strategic implementation of automation and AI technologies to remain competitive and relevant in both the legal and claims.
   2. Leverage one claims management platform to deliver seamless customer service.

Required profile 

• Highly motivated individual who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment yet understands how to harness the power of a large corporate.
• Extensive leadership experience in an insurance claims business, specifically property adjusting, but with knowledge of other TPA lines of business such as Casualty and Motor.
• Some strategic leadership experience in practice and/or evidence of exposure/insight and transferrable skills that could be utilised at this level.
• Recognised as an industry leader in the Irish insurance claims market and in their particular field of expertise, demonstrable by their track record in attracting/winning new business and participation in industry forums, conferences, and market events.
• Holds relationships with relatively senior individuals at insurance companies, preferably Tier 1 clients and generally within the market that are of demonstrable current/future benefit to the business.
• Be recognised and respected in the market for being a leader in a business which has the capability of dealing with all spectrums of work, from low value, low volume to high value, complex loss claims.
• In-depth understanding of claims, including regulatory frameworks and emerging trends.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and influence teams and stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Financial acumen and experience in budgeting, financial analysis, and resource allocation.
• Change management expertise with the ability to lead and facilitate organisational change.
• Commitment to integrity, ethical conduct, and compliance.

Note: This job description outlines the primary duties and responsibilities associated with the position of Commercial Director of Davies Claims Ireland. It is not an exhaustive list, and additional responsibilities may be assigned as deemed necessary by the organisation to achieve the net revenue target.