British Technology Awards Judging

Post and Insurance Age content director Jonathan Swift has written and commented about the insurance industry since 1998. He has appeared on television speaking about topics as diverse as the insurance implications of Michael Jackson's death to the consequences of consolidation on motor premiums; and is a past winner of the British Insurance Brokers' Association journalist of the year and Association of British Insurers general insurance trade journalist prizes.
Jonathan has chaired/ hosted over 100 insurance events from roundtables involving a small specially invited audience, to addressing over 2000 people at the British Insurance Awards at the Royal Albert Hall. He is listed as a top 50 insurtech influencer by Insurtech News and presently coordinates the All Party Parliamentary Group for Insurance and Financial Services.

Melissa Collett is Professional Standards Director at the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), leading its professional standards, ethics and conduct activity as a united profession across insurance and financial planning. She is also responsible for the professional body’s legal affairs, risk management, disciplinary matters and governance. She is keen to raise awareness of best practice and drive ethical behaviour through engagement with the profession and external stakeholders.

Melissa has an extensive background in consumer and legal issues. She spent over a decade at the Financial Ombudsman Service, was a Director at Fairer Finance and sits as a Tribunal Judge. She is also qualified solicitor, specialising in insurance law at Hogan Lovells. She is a frequent speaker at conference and events, sits on judging panels, and is the author of numerous articles and publications on consumer law subjects.

Mark has navigated the insurance industry for nearly 50 years, originally as a claims specialist in the Lloyd’s Market, he has run his own businesses since the late 1990s. The epitome of a pioneer, he founded one of the UK’s first claims outsource businesses and since times many other companies that help those trading within the sector grow and for those entering, to do so successfully. Having co-found an early insurtech MGA, he exited his businesses in 2017. He now advises and mentors many companies, including at the Lloyd’s Lab. He is an investor and serves as a NED and external Chairman for others. He lectures in entrepreneurship and is passionate about DEI, serving on the  board of a number of social mobility charities, striving to bring those underserved into the workplace. Mark is currently the Master of the Company of Entrepreneurs, one of the City of London’s Livery Companies.

Parul is Head of M&A and Innovation at AXA UK. She is responsible for inorganic and innovation strategy across general insurance, health, and asset management businesses. Parul is a member of the AXA UK Seed Fund Investment committee which invests in fintech, insurtech and digital health start-ups for the AXA Group. She is also a mentor at The Duke of York Pitch@Palace and Mayor of London's International Business Partnering Programme and is on the judge's panel for FinTech 50 Europe and Disrupt 100. Parul is member of Women in Investing and Careers Advisory group of CFA Institute.

Andy started his career in the public sector, working in the NHS and two separate Executive Agencies of the Department for Health, including the £12.8bn NHS IT project. He began working in the insurance industry with the Motor Insurers' Bureau, responsible for the communications on industry databases and wider uninsured driving issues, before moving to the British Insurance Brokers' Association in 2013. Andy is responsible for public affairs at BIBA, helping to develop the trade association's policy and representing brokers' interests to the media, regulator, officials and Parliamentarians. Andy's brief at BIBA includes InsurTech and he is responsible for a cross-industry working group with the aim of fostering innovation within the industry.

First Car:

A 973cc Vauxhall Corsa that, as a student, I blew the engine up on!

If you had to carpool with any famous person (current or historical) who would it be? 

Stephen Fry – the man who knows everything about anything. He’s a natural story-teller and would make even the most monotonous journey interesting!

Twitter: @BIBAandy from @BIBAbroker

Hélène Stanway is the Digital Leader at XL Catlin. Digital is a team within Global Technology that works with startups (InsurTech) and various service provider companies to both understand emerging technologies and how they could be applied to transform XL Catlin's business operations. XL Catlin does this by running agile experiments that focus on current business challenges and opportunities. Prior to this role, Hélène led operations for Global Specialty at XL Group.