Insurance companies manage a pool of money, with contributions made by their policyholders. The contribution made by each policyholder will vary depending on the risk they bring to the pool. In the event of a covered loss, the contributions of the many are used to settle claims. A loss adjuster is the person introduced by an insurance company, to actually oversee that settlement.
McLarens Private Clients & Estates are a specialist team, established in 2017 who focus solely on major, complex, high value and high profile insurance claims in the world of High Net Worth, Ultra High Net Worth, Fine Art, Jewellery & Specie (FAJ) losses for clients across the UK and beyond.
Our team of adjusters spend much of their working life travelling to meet policyholders affected by an unwelcome event in their lives, impacting their homes, collections, contents and belongings. Tasked with assessing the nature and extent of each loss, and the insurer’s liability, the adjuster is usually responsible for overseeing settlement, taking whatever approach is necessary.
Conservation skills are central to succeeding in a world where our clients often insure very valuable, historic, precious, rare, and unique buildings, with their contents. A conservation adjuster will be one of a team responding to an incident, and devising a way to protect the interests of everyone affected by it.
Water, fire, smoke and other types of damage will bring their own challenges, with variations in urgency, handling requirements and the degree to which intervention is needed. Although not necessarily hands-on with restoration, conservation skills and experience are used to direct suppliers and specialists to preserve the scene, reduce the risk of secondary damage and offer guidance to insurers and their customers.
Unlike many areas of insurance, Private Clients are often invested in the process of repair, restoration and preservation. In a world where resilience and sustainability are increasingly important, the conservation skillset is core to demonstrating the worth of an insurance policy, in a time of high stress.
A wide range of experience is essential, together with the ability to embrace unfamiliar subjects with care, empathy, and passion. McLarens is unique in this industry in providing on-board conservation experience to their clients, and to the wider adjusting team, based in their London offices, with this flexibility being key to the success in introduction.
It's often a surprise to discover that a career in insurance, particularly one which is field-based can be an interesting, stimulating and rewarding occupation, and that is largely due to the enormous variation in work type and daily experience. There is no such thing as a typical day in this world, with spontaneity and urgency being the only fixed features.
A working week will involve travel between damage locations, suppliers, workshops and the office. A Conservator can expect to be assisting with triage on new losses, giving professional advice before a site visit takes place, or attending the scene of a new incident in person, as part of the response team.
Research into values, restoration techniques, close liaison with specialist suppliers, logistics and movers, and peer review of conservation processes and outcomes will be regular features in this career. All of this is supported by accuracy and thoroughness in administration, and perhaps most importantly, communication. A Conservator will always be part of a team, and expected to communicate frequently and fluently with stakeholders.
It's not a cliché to say that no two days are the same in this world. There can be pressure, and in a business where work is often dictated by changes in the weather, demands can be unpredictable and testing. The variety of locations, materials, and challenges faced however, make for a very satisfying working life. Having a natural ability to empathise and prioritise is essential.
The role also needs a degree of entrepreneurship. By recognising the need for conservation expertise in our industry, we have successfully introduced the specialism to the field. But with ambition for further development in this area, building and growing new and existing relationships is as important as any practical skills, and a willingness to learn and push your own boundaries.
Opportunities like this rarely present themselves. We are currently looking to recruit a trainee Conservation Adjuster, an extraordinary opportunity to put practical and academic skills into daily use, whilst being supported with professional development in pursuit of becoming a Chartered Loss Adjuster.
To aid the process of application and selection for our new role, we will be hosting a webinar, offering further information about the opportunity, practicalities, and insight from Lisa Usman, Conservation Adjuster and Alex Wakefield, Senior Executive Adjuster.
