“Communication is the key! Making sure that you understand clients’ needs and their motivation for anything we are doing for them.”
Meet the driving force behind our client relationships at gpm. Geoff Barden, our Client Account Manager brings a wealth of insurance knowledge and a knack for translating client needs into developer language.
Read on to learn more about Geoff’s approach, his professional journey and what makes him an invaluable asset to our team. Plus how he earned an Amateur Radio License during the pandemic!
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND & ROLE
Can you tell us about your role at gpm?
I am the Account Manager working with Sharon and Sam to manage our clients’ expectations and needs.
I bring a wide range of insurance knowledge having worked within insurance for the majority of my working life – this helps translate a client’s requirements to developers language. I also, for my sins, manage gpm’s ISO27001 certification and our ISO registration.
What does a typical day look like for you?
No two days are exactly the same. They tend to start with a review of my emails and the helpdesk to see what’s going down. We have a couple of check-in points during the day to discuss any helpdesk issues with developers and check that everything else is moving forward.
During the day I’ll work on any helpdesk related issues, implementation projects for clients, speaking to clients (face to face and remotely) and to users to understand their needs and where their business is going.
I help ensure that any developments we are working on will deliver and match their needs. I’m a trusted ear to ensure that we solve our clients issues and support them to manage their clients insurance needs.
What attracted you to work at gpm?
I came to gpm after having been made redundant from my previous employer after nearly 25 years. I had held a range of roles from claims through to product management, running a pricing team through to managing relationships with third party suppliers and clients where we were their third party suppliers. gpm offered me a great opportunity to use these skills in a role that covered many of them.
The role also gave me the chance to learn new skills, including the black arts that are London Market Insurance!
Have you always worked in the insurance market?
Nearly all my working career. Initially I started temping for a health insurance company and didn’t intend to stay in the sector, but got offered a permanent role after a couple of weeks and the rest is history!
In the next quarter of a century I gained a range of insurance skills (health, life and general insurance), compliance and risk management skills and a wide range of business skills. Alongside this I also kept a hand in with technology.
APPROACH TO CLIENT MANAGEMENT
What is your approach to building and maintaining client relationships?
Spending time with clients to understand their needs, although I will always question if I don’t understand or if I think there may be a more appropriate method. It really does help to have an understanding of insurance!
How do you ensure that the clients’ needs and expectations are met or exceeded?
Again communication is the key! Making sure that you understand a clients’ needs and their motivation for anything we are doing for them. This includes time, cost and scope.
PERSONAL INSIGHTS
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Interacting with people – everyone brings something different.
Can you share something unique or interesting about yourself that your colleagues might not know?
During Covid I gained a Foundation Amateur Radio Licence!
What do you like to do in your free time?
Apart from spending time with my family (the kids are 28, 24 and 15) I help my wife with her Childminding business.
Outside of that I am involved in Scouts having previously been a Cub Leader, I am now involved in the governance side as a Trustee and Treasurer for a local Scout Group, Chair of the Trustee Board for the local District and as a member of the County Trustee Board.
gpm deliver intuitive, easy-to-deploy cloud-based insurance broking solutions.
Interested in finding out more about gpm’s inFOCUS range of apps? Contact us today.