Penny Speed Meets... Cathy Taylor, head of commercial underwriting and operations, Ageas

What was your first ever job – and were you any good at it? Silver service waitress in a restaurant. I think I was pretty good at it. It was great fun, though mashed potato was always a challenge
What is your career high point to date? Landing this role of course – although when I became the first female branch manager of another insurer back in the early 1990s felt like a huge achievement. How times have changed – for the better
If you could be Prime Minister for the day, what change would you instigate? I’d make provision for high-quality palliative care for anyone who needs it and in the place they choose
What would be your perfect day away from work? A walk in the Clent Hills, followed by a picnic looking across to the Malverns, then a gathering of family and friends, cooking a meal with singing and laughing and a glass of wine or two
Who would play you in the film of your life? Julie Walters. A fellow brummie with a cheeky sense of humour, trustee of my beloved Warley Woods. She also went to the same school I attended – many years after her I might add
What is the greatest luxury you afford yourself? Time with my family and the occasional glass of fizz – often combined
If you could edit your past, what would you change? Spending more time with my amazing father – he was taken away from us far too early
What book do you think everyone should consume, and why? The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. This book demonstrates that more unequal societies are bad for everyone – the well-off as well as the poor
What was the name of your first pet? Tiger – she was a lovely tortoiseshell cat
What is the strangest thing you have ever had to underwrite? Some rather obscure covers for a public school that is in a partially Grade 1 listed building
What was the last gift you gave someone? I gave my nephew some dollars for a trip to the US – to congratulate him on his 10 A* grade GCSEs. I also lectured him on complacency
Wine or Beer? Wine
Blur or Oasis? Blur
Chocolate or Cheese? Chocolate

This article was published in the 15 January edition of Post magazine.