Meet Stuart Oliver, Halifax’s Senior Broker

How long have you been working at Romero Insurance Brokers?

6 years. Senior Corporate Broker is my new title and I tend to deal with our larger corporate or global clients who have more complex policies and Insurance needs.

Where were you employed before and how did you fall into insurance?

(Stuart laughs and smiles to himself) – Basically, 15 years ago, I got conned by some mates to move from an insurer into broking and I became an Account Executive for a local broker in Low Moor, Bradford.

Prior to that, nearly 34 years ago now, I’d finished my A-levels but didn’t get the grades to study law at University, so I decided to get a job. The person who interviewed me and impressed me the most was Sun Alliance. I’d had banking interviews, quantity surveying interviews, but insurance won. A certain Paul Judge started on the same day as me at Sun Alliance, we were on the induction course together.

What has struck you about the working environment of today?

Because I’ve been working for so many years, I know that working environments have changed. You’ve generally got less people doing more work, but that’s the way work has gone, with technology and everything. At Sun Alliance in the early 1990’s, there were 50,000 employees worldwide, so you could hide and it wasn’t as demanding.

Nowadays it’s not like that. It’s a little more demanding and you are expected to step up to the plate – and I truly feel everybody here does. At Romero, I believe they respect my insurance experience  and ability, and let me crack on.

Here, you are very well rewarded for your efforts, unlike at other companies. You are allowed and empowered, to get on with your role – always knowing you are part of a great team. Help is always available if needed, we’ve got such a great team here with a wealth of experience and knowledge.

What would you say to someone who’s just started out or has never been in the Romero offices?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, it is not a weakness!

People need to remember they’ve come in to do a role and there is an expectation to hit the ground running, however we know you don’t know the procedures or computer systems. Everyone here is willing to help you so you should use our vast amounts of experience. Ask the questions to build up your knowledge and confirm your understanding, it’s the best way to get on.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve owned?

A titanium right hip. It’s a new thing, only about 9 weeks ago. Over the years I’ve played in squash leagues, played rugby league and have trained and competed at kick boxing. Probably the reason why I needed a new hip at 52.

An album or artist you know too much about?

The artist would be Skunk Anansie. They headlined Glastonbury in 1999, and Skin (the Lead Singer) has a cracking voice! She’s about 55 now and looks exactly the same as in the 90s when I used to go to their gigs. They had a slight a break during the noughties and reformed in 2009 and the last time I saw them was this year at the O2 Academy in Leeds. Alternative Rock, or Indie Rock, is probably the best way to describe their sound plus they also got an invite to play Glastonbury again this year and they didn’t disappoint.

Do you cook?

Yes, my signature dish is Moules Mariniere, or chateaubriand with bearnaise sauce.

Are there any personal projects or areas of self-growth you are working on at the moment?

Rehabilitation from my hip operation and it’s going ahead of schedule. There’s no pain anymore, but getting back to being much more active and going to the gym is what I’m most looking forward to!

If you were stranded on a desert island and could take one book, one luxury and one song, what would they be?

One Book – How to speak Italian, because I might as well learn something while I’m there.

One Luxury – Wind-up torch.

One Song – I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor by the Arctic Monkeys because its my go-to karaoke tune.