President's Message

 

Hello to all our members.

I am delighted to be taking on my third term as President of The Insurance Institute of Luton & Hertfordshire, following a great year led by Abbie Mansfield. 

I am pleased to welcome Joshua Gosling as our new Deputy President. Josh is our youngest council member, and he brings fresh perspective and enthusiasm to supporting our local profession. I’m looking forward to working closely with him and the rest of our dedicated council.

As always, our institute — representing both CII and PFS members — is driven entirely by volunteers. I’m incredibly grateful to every council member who gives their time, skills and experience to support our local professional community.

Our members are at the heart of everything we do

Whether you’re CII or PFS, new to the profession or well established, you are the reason our institute exists. Your development, your progression and your sense of community matter to me.

This year, I want to hear from you more than ever. Tell me what you’d like us to offer — the CPD topics you need, the skills you want to build, the social events that help you connect. Your feedback shapes our programme, and your involvement strengthens our institute.

I encourage you to:

• Join us at our CPD sessions
• Come along to our social and networking events
• Share your ideas, suggestions and expectations

Your voice genuinely makes a difference, and I want our programme to reflect what you want and need.

My focus for the year ahead

My priority this year is to strengthen engagement with employers across our region. Too often, organisations are not fully aware of the breadth of support the CII, PFS and local institutes can offer — from structured CPD and professional development to networking, community building and career progression.

To ensure our local institute and council remain at the forefront of the local profession we serve, it’s essential that we build strong, purposeful relationships with the key corporate organisations operating in our area. These partnerships help us understand employer needs and demonstrate the full value the CII and PFS can bring to their people.

Over the coming year, I will be working proactively to:

• Educate employers on how the CII and PFS can support them and their teams
• Showcase the benefits of membership and local engagement
• Build stronger partnerships that help individuals and businesses thrive
• Ensure employees at every level understand how to make the most of the resources available to them

My aim is simple: to make the CII and PFS feel accessible, relevant and valuable to every insurance and financial services professional in our region.

If you’re an employer, manager or team leader who would like to understand more about how we can support your people, please do get in touch. We would be delighted to work with you.

Thank you for your continued support — and here’s to another successful year for our institute, our members and our profession.

Best wishes

Rachel