Aon CEO for UK regions David Battle and Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII) co-founder Sue Smith (pictured above) have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the health and protection industry at the Health & Protection Awards 2023.
Both have spent more than 30 years in the sector and have been highly influential in the way the market operates, improving the professionalism of the industry and building major businesses.
David Battle
Battle’s career has been spent on both sides of the health and protection sector – working for and leading the biggest insurers and advice firms in the country.
After making his start in consulting roles for insurers he took a turn to focus on the group market, eventually becoming head of corporate pricing and development at Axa PPP.
That was followed by crossing the divide to the intermediary world where he took on senior leadership roles at Lorica.
This included as CEO where the firm was successfully refocused into the employee benefits market.
After seven years at Lorica with more than five at the helm Aon took over the business in 2014.
As a result, Battle became CEO for Aon’s UK health proposition focused on medical insurance, group risk and workplace wellbeing benefits and seven years later he took over as CEO for UK regions.
At the end of the year Battle will be retiring after a decade at Aon and 30 years in the health and protection industry.
Sue Smith
Smith has worked in the health insurance world for more than 30 years after an ill-fated enquiry to buy a policy resulted in a job offer selling it.
She has since played a key role in the evolution and development of the UK health insurance advice industry driving forward its professionalism and recognition by regulators.
This includes being one of the founding members of the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries as it then was in the late 1990s and her ongoing work within the organisation since then.
She is seen as a trailblazer by many in the industry helping to open its doors to a wider and more diverse population along the way.
And as she leaves day-to-day life working with clients, she remains steadfast in her belief of the power of personal advice and support within the industry.