ILC ARTICLE

Industry Leader Interview with Chris Edwards, COO, Digilog

27th September 2021

1. Tell us about your role. What do you do, and what do you find most interesting about it?

I started in Insurance back in 1989, yes that long ago. I chose the industry as a short-term bit of experience before I was of age to apply for the Police, however I developed a need for glasses and that put an end to my Police ambitions, so here I am 32 years later and still here. My experience has always had a claims focus however this progressed into management, operational and business development. I would say that makes me a good people person. I joined Digilog in 2020 just before Lockdown, why, because they had a technology solution that I really see the benefit in, and I just wish I could have had use of this during my investigation days. My role at Digilog is Chief Operations Officer, and my primary focus is on the UK market, ensuring that all aspects of the business deliver.

2. What made you want to work in this industry? 

I was only supposed to be here for a couple of years, with a view to getting some experience in an industry that will never go away, something for me to fall back on later on if needed.  Whilst things always change, we will always need insurance. At the time, I was young, and I liked cars, so working in Car Insurance Claims was perfect. My first job was at the AA Insurance in Cheadle and it’s fair to say this was a great place to work, it was hard work, but it had a great social scene, so a perfect place to work for someone my age.

3. What do you see as the biggest challenge to your industry in the next year?

I think there quite a few challenges, there is a focus on a touchless customer journey, but we are a people business and for me there must be a balance. Not having any contact with the customers can’t be a good thing and I think this will open the door for more fraudulent activity. One more, as an industry we need to avoid hiding behind Zoom and Teams etc, there is still a place for this, but I am hoping that we return to face to face meetings, people do business with people, and we need that personal contact. I have spoken to so many people over the past 20 months that I really don’t know much about and that’s not how you build business relationships.

4. How would you like to see the industry improved next year / 5 years / by the time you retire? 

We need to speed change up a little, there is too much of a reliance on legacy process, everything evolves, and the industry can tend to be a little slow to react.

5. If you could give your 16-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Simple this one, I wish I had taken some time out to travel a little before I got stuck into a career. There is so much to see out there and not enough time to see it unless you make the time. This is still on my agenda, but I guess I will be approaching it a little differently now, at a slightly slower pace!