ILC ARTICLE

Rising Star Interview with Matthew Lay-Flurrie, Finance Admin Assistant, Davies Group

16th June 2021

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

In my role as a Finance Admin Assistant at Davies, my main responsibilities consist of reviewing outstanding invoices for suppliers and processing payment requests that we receive on bordereaux. A lot of my time is spent liaising with the finance departments of our suppliers to provide remittance, answer queries and provide regular updates on payments. As well as this, I am in regular contact with our finance team  who assist with any queries and help resolve problems we may face when clearing outstanding invoices.

The thing I find most interesting about my role is learning how various aspects of finance works. Having not worked in a role like this before, I am continuously learning different processes, enabling me to perform tasks efficiently and accurately. As well as this, the satisfaction you get after resolving a complex issue for a supplier or completing an internal finance task with colleagues is addictive!

What made you want to work in this industry?

In all honesty, I did not set out looking for a career in the insurance industry in particular, however I was looking to begin a career in finance. I found myself applying for a finance administration position at Davies after being made redundant from my last role due to COVID. Having researched a bit about the industry before applying, I quickly realised that having a job in the insurance industry would be a sustainable career – there are plenty of educational and progression opportunities and there is a job in the industry for everyone’s skillset. I have now been at Davies for seven months and I am very pleased that I chose to work in this industry.

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

In the next year, I see recovery from the effects of COVID will be the biggest challenge to the industry. Although some sectors of the insurance industry have benefited as a result of the pandemic, a lot of other sectors have seen a huge impact, and this will take some time to recover fully from. Returning to work in offices after working from home will also be challenging, with having to ensure employees are in a safe environment but also minimising any daily business interruptions whilst these changes are coming into effect.

Furthermore, beginning to think about and preparing  for the impact that climate change will have on the industry will be an upcoming challenge. 

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

In the next few years, I would like there to be more automation and use of technology within the industry. There are countless ways for technology to impact the industry in a positive way. By automating some smaller, simpler tasks, there will be more time and focus spent on customer/client satisfaction and delivering a smooth claims experience from start to finish. As well as this, ever-advancing technology will improve cyber security.

I would also like to see new software developed particularly in finance operations, allowing for more efficient collaborative work between us and our suppliers, streamlining the processes for submitting invoices and queries to ensure a quick turnaround at all times.

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

The advice to give my 16 year old self would be to keep an open mind and take more opportunities.