Penny Black's Social World - 3 December 2015

The Big Picture

Students from a community school in Andover, Hampshire have met Mark Wright, last year’s winner of The Apprentice, at an event organised by Be Wiser Insurance.


After the 2014 edition of the BBC show, Wright launched a digital marketing company called Climb Online. One of his clients is Andover-based broker Be Wiser, which organised the event at John Hanson Community School.

Year 11 business students heard about apprenticeship opportunities and met Wright, who said he was very impressed with their enthusiasm and energy


The Big Debate

Will blockchain be part of your future business model? Commentators have said the UK insurance industry is “woefully behind” in its take-up of blockchain technology - a digital mutually distributed ledger that provides a complete record of transactions shared between multiple parties. Blockchain could radically change the way insurance contracts and settlements are handled as well as potentially reducing insurance fraud.
Do you see the benefits in mutually distributed ledgers for the insurance industry? Why are insurers lagging behind in taking up this technology?

Katie Marriner, senior reporter, Post
Have your say at bit.ly/PostLinkedIn


Fresh From Facebook

Several Allianz graduates recently volunteered with Tour Aid, a charity that uses rugby to tackle child poverty.


Tour Aid organises rugby tours to forge relationships between vulnerable children from the developing world and mentors in the UK.

The Allianz graduates worked as liaison officers, helping the host schools greet the children at the airport and assisting with the running of the two-day rugby festival. Each of them also organised a day out in London with their individual groups.

For Sarah Cloy, a retail management trainee who supported the group from Columbia, “the highlight was working with such a bright and engaging bunch of boys”.


Tweet of the Week

As long as the industry is fragmented - with 3 bodies, not one - it cannot be a Solus "profession" / Unite the clans! #insurancedebate

— James York (@JamesJWYork) November 23, 2015