Tributes paid to insurance industry veteran Douglas Shillito

Born in July 1939, Douglas – often known as ‘Doug’ or ‘Dougie’ – spent his entire career [spanning over six decades] in insurance, holding a number of management roles during 20 years with Royal Insurance before starting his own consultancy in 1981, which became Shillito Market Intelligence Ltd (SMIL) in 1989.

He was also a past chairman of the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Society of Fellows, and a past vice-president of the Institute.

A good man who will be sadly missed.

With a long list of clients including insurers and brokers, SIML aimed to monitor strategic global trends in the management, structure, processes, distribution, business pressures and regulation across all financial services, to build what Douglas described as “a bridge with information technology in all its guises”.

He acted as a regular chairman, speaker or facilitator at public and private seminars, conferences and workshops worldwide; and was consultant and chairman for the annual IT in Insurance conference for 15 years, from its inception in 1985.

Douglas also lectured at the Cass Business School, City University, London, to visiting insurance executives, and was a founder member of The Geneva Association Communications Advisory Council of insurance editors globally.

Post contributor

He was founding editor of a number of publications, including Insurance Systems Bulletin (1984) and Insurance Computer Systems (1984) (which became European Insurance Computer Systems in 1993); and regularly contributed to Insurance Post in the late 1980s and 1990s.

His love of the media was no surprise to those who knew him: while serving his two years national service in 1957 in Yemen, he wrote the newspaper for servicemen also based there and was part of the radio service broadcasting team.

Douglas also created the Only Strategic Newslink online database on insurance markets (starting 1993) expanding to take in the banking and financial services sector in 1999.

Sirius Financial Systems founder Steve Verrall said: "After a successful career at the Royal, he cleverly established himself as somewhat of a guru figure in the then emergent world of broker IT. 

"He became a one man nexus of information, opinion and consultancy. He also worked closely with the British Insurance Brokers' Association. All the IT players were keen to keep close to Doug, win his approval, be mentioned positively in his numerous columns and speaking events, and hopefully a recommendation or two of their system to a sales prospect.

"I have fond memories of Doug. He was a standout character of the time, and whilst we didn’t always agree, he was ever a gentleman and good to talk to.

Impact Media managing director Andrew Driver reminisced: “I was saddened to hear about Doug Shillito’s passing recently. Doug was a proud son of Yorkshire who loved his county cricket and football having supported Leeds United. 

“As a fellow son of the White Rose we had many chat’s over the 30 years I have known Doug on the trials and tribulations of both sporting teams. Doug had a long career in the insurance industry and was passionate about technology and it’s use in the market. He was very well known in his later years for his Only Strategic data and intelligence service.”

Ahead of their time

Former Post editor David Worsfold added: “It is often said of someone that they were ahead of their time. With Doug that was truly the case.

“[Doug] was talking and writing about the impact that technology would have on the insurance industry long before most boardrooms even had it on their agendas. He saw the potential of emerging technologies in the 1970s and 1980s and was gifted in bringing that knowledge to wider audiences. 

“He was doing this in an era when many of those audiences had little or no knowledge of technology. [Doug] was skilled in explaining complex topics, ensuring that his many articles were always accessible to his readers. He was also not afraid to voice his criticisms of those he thought were not using technology in the right way, especially if it had potentially damaging consequences for the image of a sector he cared about so deeply.

“Doug also saw the potential of electronic distribution of news and the potential of the internet to quickly curate news from many sources around the globe. Like his writing, his newswire service was ahead of its time and proved invaluable to many insurance executives wise enough to sign up for the service.

“It was his passion for the future that endeared him to many of us.”

Encyclopaedic knowledge 

Ross Gow, the managing partner at ACUITY Gulf Partners continued: “I had the pleasure of knowing Doug Shillito since the mid-90s, discussing with him insurance tech and comms issues on behalf of brokers, carriers and vendors. 

“As former chair of the CII’s Society of Fellows and editor of Shillito Market Intelligence, Doug had an encyclopaedic knowledge of insurance issues, which he was readily keen to share as speaker and facilitator at numerous market events, including the ‘IT in Insurance’ conference – which he chaired for 15 years. 

“Although he lived in Farnham, Doug retained a keen Yorkshire wit, bravely supporting Leeds United and although no stranger to wine bars in EC3, preferred a pint of Timothy Taylor Best, to the more traditional London Market beverages.”

Yorkshire Grit

Tony Boobier, who had known Douglas for over 20 years, wrote: “Beyond being an insurance expert and lifelong Yorkshireman, most will especially remember Doug as a raconteur, always having a story, opinion or a different perspective to add colour to the business side of any conversation.

“Even in advancing years, he always had his finger on the pulse of the insurance industry, writing regularly on his own Newslink site in an informed, diligent and valuable way which reached an international audience.

“I wonder what he might have written for his own obituary in Newslink given the opportunity? Probably an article filled with self-deprecating humour, underpinned by a determined attitude and full of Yorkshire Grit, but struggling like many of us to adequately reflect in a few words what on reflection was a great life.

“I always found him to be both optimistic and stoical in equal proportions, even towards the end of his time, and many will miss his company not only as a professional colleague but more importantly as a friend.”

Polite and solicitous

Roddy Langley concluded: “I met Dougie early on in my time at RI3K and worked with him to put together an exclusive industry seminar which was held in Brussels in June 2002. He was the MC and there were some big hitters present looking to map out a path to integrate electronic trading into the London market – the late Alex Letts, Jonathan Prinn, Neil Eckert and the team from inreon. 

“Dougie was the consummate facilitator – he understood the market challenges at that time, was never overawed by the pugnacious delegates and kept the discussion on track and moving forward.

“Always polite and solicitous, Dougie never failed to ring up on receipt of a press release from me at RI3K and then Lysander PR. We always had a good natter, and he put up with my teasing him about being in the insurance industry longer than me. He had time to listen and never failed to impress on me how he really cared about the industry and how it was perceived.

“A good man who will be sadly missed.”

There will be a celebration of his Douglas’s life held at the Ivy Lane club, Ivy lane, Farnham, Surrey on Monday 10 February at 2pm.