Judges

Ajay is the co-Founder and co-Chair of iCAN (The Insurance Cultural Awareness Network) which is an industry-wide independent network that was set up to support multicultural inclusion and career progression across the insurance sector. iCAN currently has over 7,000 members across 3 Hubs – London, Birmingham and Manchester and run a number of key initiatives to drive change in the industry. 

With experience in the last 12 years in the insurance sector, Ajay is now the founder & director of Gambit Partners, a sales & marketing consultancy focused on supporting early-stage startups and small businesses with their growth strategies, their new customer acquisition strategy, their distribution channels and helping them to develop long-term recurring income.  

Ajay is also an advisory board member of the CII’s Insurance Broking Board, which is a community of insurance broking professionals that aims to raise the levels of professional knowledge and technical competence, and to assist over 13,000 broker members in their personal career development at all levels of experience.  

Ajay was recently named in the Global 100 Leader list 2022 by Insurance Business, as well as placed number 25 in the Global EMpower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leaders List 2022 and placed in the Insurance Power List Top 40 2023 for his work in the Industry. 

Ann has been a member of the Manchester Claims Association (MCA) for over 17 years, and was honoured to be voted as Chairman for 2024. The MCA promote learning and development in the North West claims sector, and also offer networking and social opportunities for it’s members.

As Senior Client Relationship Manager of Examworks Investigations, Ann draws on over 35 years’ experience in insurance claims. She began her career as a claims handler with Norwich Union in 1987, before moving to AGF Insurance, where she gained invaluable experience as a Claims Inspector, investigating all levels of motor, property and EL/PL claims.

Ann has been with ExamWorks Investigation Services since its inception in 2006 and assists in the growth of new business, helping maximise opportunities for our new and existing customers. Alongside this, Ann works closely with the operational team on the development of new products that are in line with our customer requirements and industry changes, ensuring we deliver a top quality service 100% of the time.

Anna, recognised as ‘Rising Star of the Year’ at the Broker Innovation Awards (2022 and 2023) and ‘Best Insurance Marketing & Communications Leader’ at the Influential Businesswoman Awards 2023, brings extensive experience in the insurance industry to her role as a judge.

With over two decades in marketing and communications, Anna excels in strategic planning, project management, and business development. Currently, she works as Group Head of Marketing for, a leading construction insurance group, overseeing digital marketing strategies, budget management, and operational streamlining, significantly enhancing online sales, customer experiences and team efficiency.

In her previous role as Global Head of Marketing & Communications, within a global pet insurance company, Anna led initiatives that boosted online sales by 250%. Her expertise in managing global marketing budgets, developing marketing strategies, and handling crisis communications has driven substantial growth and operational excellence.

Anna’s notable achievements include leading a multimillion-pound acquisition, showcasing her ability to manage complex projects successfully. Her strategic vision, extensive industry knowledge, and commitment to innovation make her an invaluable judge for the Broker Insurance Innovation Awards, well-equipped to evaluate and celebrate groundbreaking solutions in the insurance sector.

Chris became CEO of LIIBA in January 2016. Before that, he was head of the London Market Group’s Secretariat where he led the work that produced the milestone London Matters report.

He began his career as a government economist and spent 10 years in financial services regulations before joining LMG.

As part of his LIIBA role he is also a director of BIPAR (European Federation of Insurance Intermediaries) and sits on the executive committee of the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (WFII).

He is also a past vice-president of the Insurance Institute of London.

With more than 40 years of experience in the industry, Michael Keating’s career has included time at insurers, brokers and MGAs in both the commercial and personal Lines markets.

He held executive positions at AXA, Midas, UK General and most recently Insurtech startup Qlaims, before becoming chief executive officer at the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) in September 2020.

His personal interests include supporting Manchester United (despite being from London!), music and trying to keep pace with his grandchildren.

Phil Williams is group chief operating officer at The Clear Group where he helps lead more than 700 dedicated insurance professionals across the UK.

Having spent the first decade of his career in personal lines, notably at BGL and Capita, Phil spent the eight years prior to joining The Clear Group as part of the management team at the fast-growing insurtech commercial lines broker Simply Business, where he held a number of roles on the management team, latterly as managing director of MGA, writing more than £100m GWP in the UK, US and Canada.

Phil is passionate about innovation in insurance, writing and speaking frequently about the future of the industry. He is also a non-executive director on the CII Underwriting Community Board.

Phil is ACII-qualified, holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and a BSc (Hons) in mathematics from the University of Bath. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two sons.