London Belgravia Group is delighted to welcome Rachel Bryant onto its newly-formed Major Projects team. She joins us after a seven-year stint at leading insurance provider Premier Guarantee, as Account Manager and then Account Director, as well as a lengthy career in the property sector. We look forward to Rachel bringing all that experience to bear as she takes on her new role.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I’ve been involved in construction and property since 2003. In 2016, I joined Premier Guarantee. I was brought on as a Key Account Manager, my remit being to build and maintain relationships with developers, especially the larger, national housebuilders. Later, the role expanded to include smaller developers too, growing the client base significantly for my region of the UK. That led to a role as Account Director, with the emphasis again being on building relationships with the larger developers.
How do you approach your work?
Building relationships is what motivates me, and I think it’s what I’m best at. Property insurance is a very technical field, with minutiae to master, but the context is always people. Large amounts of money are at stake in the sector, so those seeking a partner are understandably cautious. Establishing trust can take time and patience; people are looking for someone they can turn to as an advisor and consultant rather than just a provider.
Why did you make the move to London Belgravia Group?
Our sector is seeing unprecedented change. Post Grenfell, enormously impactful new regulations have come into force, especially in relation to higher risk buildings (HRBs), which essentially means high rise. Because of this, insurers in future may face more and larger claims. Consequently, there isn’t always an appetite for providing every type of cover. Longstanding providers have exited some markets, and others are trimming cover, for example, insisting on more exclusions in relation to contractor insolvency.
This means developers who previously relied on one trusted insurer now find that partner isn’t interested in all of their projects, or isn’t offering policies as comprehensive as before. What those developers need is access to the whole warranty market, through a specialist who can tailor a solution suited exactly to their needs.
What other support do you think clients need currently?
The speed of legislative and regulatory change means even experienced developers can sometimes struggle to keep up with new obligations. Whether the issue is cladding, or a second stairway, for example, nobody wants to be in a position where they could be making design decisions that impact saleability or force unappealing retrofits such as external stairways added after construction.
This means they really need expert advice from someone who is independent of any particular sales offering, and which goes beyond legal obligation.
How does London Belgravia Group keep abreast of developments?
We regularly meet with our extended network and contacts within the industry, they really are so important in ensuring we stay ahead of the waves that are buffeting construction right now.
What do you think makes London Belgravia Group stand out?
The focus on providing outstanding customer service chimes very strongly with my own approach, which is why I was interested in the position. Giles Fallan founded the group with the central idea of supporting the client from initial contact to completion and beyond.
The other factor is the people, the strength of the team. The Major Projects team I’m joining is led by Commercial Director Alex Lyons. Alex, who I’ve worked with before, is hugely experienced in construction insurance and latent defects in particular. This is a new team, and I think other announcements can be expected in the not-too-distant future!
A last word from Alex Lyons:
“I’m delighted to be working with Rachel again. Her thorough understanding of the latent defect market is exactly what we need. The same is true of her unwavering commitment to excellence in supporting clients and finding solutions that perfectly fit their needs.”
The London Belgravia Group is a leading provider of latent defects insurance and other construction policies. If you have any questions for Rachel or anyone on the team, please get in touch today using our contact page.
