“ I never planned a career in protection, I actually wanted to be a teacher or work in social care, but it’ s turned out to be the perfect fit.” Emily Kate Day has worked in the protection industry for more than 12 years. For most of that time, she worked for a leading advisory firm. Her last role there involved liaising with insurers. After taking a short career break, Emily began looking for a new role, exploring opportunities with insurers seemed a natural option.
Since July this year, Emily has been with Cirencester Friendly working in the business development team. Her previous experience has stood her in excellent stead, and she has already been promoted to the role of a Business Development Manager.
“ While the worlds of advisers and insurers are inextricably linked, in many ways they can seem poles apart. Taking the leap across the divide to work for an insurer was scary, but I felt ready for the challenge. There is lots to learn, different ways of working and building relationships with my new colleagues, but my previous experience really has been an asset. Knowing how advisers think, what their motivations are and what they are trying to achieve, has made it much easier to get up to speed and hit the ground running.
When you’ re new to organisation it is easy to feel out of your depth and question the value you bring. As I came in with inside knowledge of how advisers operate, I was quickly able to feel of use to my team, sharing hints and tips to colleagues about how to work better with our adviser partners. Building these strong relationships is vital to Cirencester’ s plan to grow, so from the outset I felt in synergy with their aims and the approach they want to take.
Becoming a Business Development Manager seemed like the natural progression for me. What I love about this industry is it is all about people – both those that I work alongside and those that we are here to help when they need it the most. One of the things that has made the transition into my new role so smooth is the support from BDMs both inside and outside of Cirencester. There is great camaraderie in this industry, the extent of which I really didn’ t realise until now. Becoming a BDM is like joining an exclusive club, where peers really do look out for each other.
So much is talked about the sector being out of touch, wedded to traditions and slow to move. I think we need to do more to shout about our strengths, to change perceptions that this is a sector dominated by dull men in grey suits that are stuck in the past. As a working mum, I’ ve experienced a huge amount of understanding and support. My role allows me to work flexibly and largely remotely, meaning I can create a healthy work life blend that suits me. No two days are the same, as every case is different, so there is always a new challenge to solve. This is a people business that needs those that are interested in people to thrive.
While my career at Cirencester is still in its infancy, I already feel this is a place where I can develop, gaining new skills and experiences. I’ m looking forward to establishing myself in the BDM role and learning as much as I can from my peers and colleagues. I’ m passionate about spreading the benefits of protection to younger people, particularly women and those with young families, who I know have so much to gain from having adequate cover in place. I feel it is so important that someone like me is visible and playing a part in breaking down barriers and challenging misconceptions.”
Visit https:// cirencester-friendly. co. uk / adviser / for more info.
April 2025 | 15