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Discover how alignment, leadership and a focus on people strategy helped Markham, an insurance firm, grow to new heights with support from a fractional People Director just one day a month.
Markham Private Clients Ltd, a thriving insurance broker and Managing General Agent, had grown steadily since its foundation by CEO Giles Greenfield and co-founder Giles Hudson. With the acquisition of McGowans Commercial Insurance in the first half of 2024, the Group now comprises of three divisions; High Net Worth Private Clients, Commercial and Special Risks (Kidnap and Ransom) and brings a diverse, comprehensive insurance offering to the market, generating turnover of £1.75M and controlling premiums in excess of £13M.
Giles had identified significant potential for growth yet recognised the need to develop the organisation in order to capture the commercial opportunities. He decided to seek expert support to align the divisions, build leadership capacity, and prepare for future growth.
The challenge for Markham
Markham had a dedicated team of 18 employees, but the rapid growth and new acquisition presented challenges:
- They needed to define their vision and values to unite the team around long-term business goals.
- Giles wanted to delegate the day-to-day responsibilities to team leaders, freeing him up to take on an ambassador role and lead on business development.
- The managers needed training to manage their teams effectively and manage performance and development reviews.
Giles wanted professional guidance to address these areas while keeping costs manageable for a business of their size, so he brought in Rob Cook, a People Director with over 30 years’ experience to take a strategic approach to people planning and help set up Markham to achieve their goals.
The People Puzzles approach
Rob began by conducting a comprehensive two-day discovery process to understand Markham’s strengths, challenges, and aspirations. He then worked with Giles and the team for a day a month to deliver impactful solutions, including:
- Strategic alignment: Facilitated workshops to refresh Markham’s long-term vision, establish values, and create a clear strategic plan. This gave the team a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
- Leadership development: Helped establish a management team, structured weekly meetings, and introduced more impactful performance review processes. Team leaders are now taking greater ownership of day-to-day responsibilities, freeing up Giles’ time to focus on strategic growth.
- Team collaboration: Delivered DISC profiling workshops to develop self-awareness and strengthen collaboration. These sessions are enabling greater opportunity to develop a culture of cooperation and mutual respect among team members.
- Performance excellence: Introduced a structured performance management system with quarterly goals and reviews, aligning team objectives with business growth targets.
Impact and results
Rob’s expertise brought tangible benefits to Markham Insurance and his impact was seen from day one:
- Stronger leadership: Team leaders are gaining confidence and skills to manage effectively, reducing reliance on Giles for day-to-day decisions.
- Enhanced team engagement: Staff are becoming much more connected to the business’s mission, with a greater sense of pride and ownership.
- Proactive management: The business became more forward-thinking, with clear financial targets, goals and processes driving performance.
- Positioned for growth: Markham is now equipped with a clear strategy and a motivated team ready to achieve ambitious targets for 2025 and beyond.
For Markham, the investment in fractional C-suite expertise for just one day a month proved transformational, demonstrating that even small teams can benefit enormously from expert people planning.
“Rob and the team at People Puzzles have been instrumental in getting our team on the same page and setting us up for success. Their strategic approach and ability to deliver results in just one day a month have made a real difference to our business. We’re now in a stronger position to achieve our growth ambitions.” Giles Greenfield, CEO
With expert guidance from Rob Cook, the whole team at Markham has enhanced its approach to leadership, strategy, and team collaboration, paving the way for a bright future.
