Amber Musson-Thorp, group commercial director for Lifecare International based in Qatar, speaks to Health & Protection about how she fell into the industry, the role her dad played, her love of the ocean, and how that stretches to a love of rivers as well, and her desire to Let the river run.
How long have you been in the international health advice industry and why did you start working in it?
I’ve been in the industry for 21 years now, I started for an independent intermediary which is a fantastic business called IHC, headquartered in London. I was 18 years old when I started in an individual/retail sales role in PMI and cash plans in one of their offices in Somerset.
My father was actually in a recruitment role at the time and the plan was to try and find me some work experience in a gap year before I went to university. But like most people who fell into this industry by luck, I never left and never looked back.
How long have you been with your present firm and which markets does your company do business in?
I have been with my current firm, Lifecare International, an insurance and intermediary for three years. We are a regional business with five offices across the UAE, Kenya & Qatar.
While I am based in the lovely Qatar and we are an MEA Broker geographically, we specialise in clients based all over the world in all jurisdictions.
The Middle East is well known as being more complex with compliance and we are very proud to have many broker partners worldwide who use our experience and licenses to write business compliantly in our region.
What is the biggest factor affecting the international health and benefits space for you and your firm?
In our region (across the Gulf Cooperation Council – GCC) there is a particular issue with inflation and unaffordable premiums for traditional IPMI. This is also exaggerated by the culture here to over-treat, under regulated markets in some territories together with fraud waste and abuse coupled with the cost of some of the upmarket facilities in the Middle East.
However, I think we need to be aware of this issue worldwide as we begin to see multinational companies choosing to consider high end local insurance policies as a way to drive down costs and expense to their business.
If you consider Qatar specifically, our biggest issue is the lack of awareness and education around medical insurance and general employee benefits due to the state healthcare system.
We are awaiting the implementation of the compulsory medical insurance roll out which has stalled potential customers to purchase insurance (before they have to). However, this will grow the market to an estimated 2.2bn QAR and with it some much needed regulation which will in turn help the market and insurers to price premiums correctly and grow the insurance market.
Where do you see the future of IPMI in the Middle East?
There is still so much opportunity in the Middle East and Africa. Of course, KSA (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is the big one everyone is talking about, but also developing markets with impending regulation in the Middle East outside of the UAE such as Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and others such as Egypt and Jordan.
Who has been your most important mentor throughout your career?
I’ve been very lucky over the last 21-plus years to have had exposure with some of the most talented and respected names in our industry mainly across the UK, Middle East and the US.
But the two that stand out for me are Chris Rofe, who hired me a very long time ago when I worked for AXA-PPP in the large corporate sales team, what he taught me about new business and presenting I will never forget.
The second more recently is Nic Brown who was executive director at Aetna when he hired me, this was a hugely pivotal role in my career, his leadership is something I had not seen before – a big thank you to them both for recognising my potential back then.
I must also mention my amazing dad who had a similar career path and has never stopped pushing me since he got me that role all those years ago with IHC.
What advice would you give people thinking about working in the international health and benefits sector?
If you’re lucky enough to find your way into this industry – don’t even think twice.
The industry is full of professionals, full of opportunity and if you’re competent you will be able to make a real career for yourself… plus, if you’re lucky, the chance to travel the world and diversify your mind to learn about different cultures at the same time.
What has been your greatest success at work?
There are so many successes that I am proud of, mostly in the leadership roles I’ve held across EMEA but my greatest success has to be the teams I have built.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have discovered and helped to develop talented individuals who are now thriving in their careers.
I have been lucky enough and privileged enough to have helped to develop talented people who are having successful careers.
I love to see how they are progressing and am sure they will be some of the next big names in our industry.
What are your top three priorities for the next year?
Growth, growth and more growth (I joke).
Growth for sure, local market penetration and of course proactively adding value and ensuring our clients are at the centre of everything we do as we always do at Lifecare.
What is one personal skill that most people do not know about?
Professionally I am learning to speak Arabic (the Egyptian dialect seems to be the easiest).
Personally, I love the ocean, I love to dive and used to swim for the South of England.
What mantra do you live by?
If you want something enough and work hard enough, anything is achievable. Your work and career is the one thing in this world that you can guarantee you will get out what you put in.
Also, don’t get involved in politics and bureaucracy, focus on keeping your head down, work hard and let your results speak for themselves.
If you could work in any location in the world, what would it be?
I love being right where I am in Qatar and love being in the Middle East but also love some parts of Asia and the US.
What song would you regard as your theme tune?
There are too many options personally but professionally it has to be Let the river run by Carly Simon a part of the soundtrack from the 80s movie Working girl.