About Us
Drakefield Insurance Services Limited is an insurance intermediary whose principal travel insurance business has been established since 1998. Drakefield was created to acquire and develop travel insurance businesses and has expanded considerably in recent years to encompass significant internal financial and management resources. The senior management team includes experienced insurance broking and city professionals with skills in broking, marketing, technology, call centre operations and corporate finance.
Drakefield made its first acquisition in June 2004 by purchasing Go Travel Insurance which had made a substantial impact on the internet travel insurance market since it was launched in 2000. We provide for our own brands and other companies brands an end to end travel insurance service - internet, call centre, medical screening and claims.
We don’t just sell travel insurance – we deliver it!
In April 2007 Drakefield Insurance Services Limited sold a controlling interest to the AA.
On September 18th 2007 Saga and AA were brought together, a new holding company Acromas Holdings Ltd was formed. Acromas Holdings CEO is Andrew Goodsell who is also CEO of Saga and now chairs the AA. Acromas Group Finance Director is Stuart Howard who becomes Chairman of Drakefield.
Saga Group origins began in the 1950’s to grow to the substantial group today. Saga focus exclusively on the provision of high quality, value-for-money services for people 50 and over. These include holidays to worldwide destinations, including cruises on Saga owned ships, an award winning magazine, insurance and financial service products.
AA Insurance Services celebrated 40 years in insurance this year, and is the UK’s largest personal line insurance broker. The AA Limited includes breakdown and publishing, was founded in 1905 and employs 7,000 people with over 2 million customers. Drakefield looks after over 1 million passengers and now handles all travel insurance on behalf of the AA.
WINNERS
Drakefield Insurance Services Limited was awarded the “Fastest Growing Independent East Anglia Broker” award for 2005/2006 from the Insurance Times. In 2006 the Operations Manager, Lisa West received a Highly Commended award in the “Young Broker of the Year” nominations in the UK Broker awards in association with the Insurance Age.
Go Travel Insurance was voted “Best Travel Insurance Web Site” at the 2007 Travolution awards, and 1Stoptravelinsurance secured equal second nomination. The Consumer Intelligence survey of 2004 placed Go Travel Insurance in the top 10 of travel insurance providers.
CORPORATE CONTRACTS
The company has been successful expanding beyond its owned brands and has secured outsource management contracts to handle from the 1st February 2007 the following travel insurance brands:
www.elephant-travelinsurance.co.uk
www.admiral-travelinsurance.co.uk
www.diamond-travelinsurance.co.uk
www.bell-travelinsurance.co.uk
Drakefield Insurance Services Limited will continue to develop the business and will in the future secure more contracts which will increase the business beyond the organic growth of its own brands.
MORE ABOUT US
We deliver an end-to-end service to our customers, including operating a claims team that handle the claims for the majority of our business.
Drakefield Insurance Services limited operates to the highest standards of governance and ensures that its staff and business processes reflect a leading position in customer service.
Drakefield is committed to ongoing personal development of all its staff and directors at whatever level in the business. Management have all undertaken refresher courses during their careers and expect and positively encourage their teams to do similar.
Training and personal development for example in our sales team is a commitment to our people as well as ensuring our customers have a positive response from us at all times.
SALES AND MARKETING
The success of our marketing campaigns are a significant contribution to our growth. Though marketing is instrumental in driving customers to the call centre or website, what will ultimately sell travel insurance is the quality of the product and price. However, in our highly competitive field the customer experience is a critical part of closing a successful sale. Customer experience is how customers are treated, a polite professional and helpful call centre’s and/or easy to use websites. The quality of our team whether sales, claims handling, marketing and IT are all a critical part of this.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
We endeavour to keep our teams informed of all developments in our business and the external market. We work to recognise the individuals as well as the teams’ contribution and success through our remuneration structure.
We also have monthly team meetings allowing an engagement between all the team and Directors – an update, exchange of ideas, views and news.
Recently for example following enquires from our team, we released a new package of discounts for all staff across a broad number of third party providers in travel, transport and entertainment, as well as insurance service products.
MAKING MISTAKES
We all can make mistakes at some point. We do not always get everything right, whether as an individual or a company.
Our individual and corporate commitment is to ensure that we are always honest and open admitting to our mistake quickly, ensuring all the team is supportive in rectifying the mistake, and where necessary apologising.
We need to ensure as an individual and as a company we learn and get better as a result of the ‘mistake’ experience.
COMPLIANCE AND STATUTORY RELATIONSHIPS
Drakefield Insurance Services Limited is an independently regulated company and works closely with a number of organisations to ensure that we maintain our regulatory standards and remain customer focused and amongst these are:
- Financial Services Authority (FSA)
- British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA)
- Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
- Association of Travel Insurance Intermediaries (ATII)
- Institute of Travel & Tourism (ITT)
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
PEOPLE
The company has achieved substantial and profitable growth far in excess of plan. This is undoubtedly a result of successful positioning in the right markets, but also down to the strength and diversity and strength of all the Drakefield team.
We continue to attract and ensure everyone joining our team meets our high standards. We endeavour to create a happy, friendly and positive working environment for all of the members of our company. We believe we achieve this in many ways, whilst always looking for additional ways to enhance our colleagues work and career experience. We remain committed to our staff and are pleased to note that we have a low staff turnover.
Drakefield Management Team
Travel Insurance
Go Travel Insurance is recognised as an early pioneer of online excellence, with www.gotravelinsurance.co.uk being recognised as the Best Travel Insurance Website at the Travolution Awards 2007. We offer competitive, secure and easy online customer transaction, as well as a professionally trained UK based insurance telesales team.
Go Travel Insurance was voted 'Best Travel Insurance Website' at the 2007 Travolution Awards and the Consumer Intelligence survey of 2004 placed Go Travel Insurance in the top ten of travel insurance providers.
Other travel websites includes: -
www.aa-travelinsurance.com
www.gotravelinsurance.co.uk
www.1stoptravelinsurance.co.uk
www.etravelinsurance.co.uk
www.gogay.com
Drakefield also has other travel insurance interests, including providing wholesale travel insurance solutions to the travel industry.
Cargo Insurance
Drakefield founded and operates www.gocargoinsurance.com, a website dedicated to UK shippers, whether freight forwarders or any other business involved in importing or exporting goods and cargo. This is, like all our websites, a transactional website allowing quotation and buying online. Within minutes of logging on you can buy cargo insurance and receive an emailed insurance certificate which is acceptable to your clients, bankers and shippers.
GoCargoInsurance is operated in conjunction with underwriting provision from the Royal & SunAlliance, and consultancy support from Aon Limited.
Commercial, personal lines and all other insurance
Drakefield is currently considering other insurance products via the internet, and where applicable, with telesales support. This could potentially be any market where we consider our IT/Internet transaction website building capabilities; marketing or insurance expertise will allow us to differentiate ourselves from the market place.
Drakefield directors and staff have been involved in the insurance industry in most risk classes personal lines, commercial, speciality, whether wholesale, retail direct or reinsurance both within the UK and globally. We work with numerous contacts throughout the industry underwriting broking and others at all levels.
Drakefield now as part of a wider group will also endeavor to handle all consumer or commercial enquiries wherever these may be best managed – Saga, AA, Direct Choice or Drakefield.