Michelle Anderson, newly appointed chief operating officer at British Caribbean Insurance Company (BCIC), has responsibility for its strategic digital transformation along with their CEO, Peter Levy. Anderson will be heavily involved in overseeing initiatives to create borderless teams and build employee capabilities to support the organisation’s regional growth outside of Jamaica, Barbados and Turks and Caicos, where BCIC currently operates.

Anderson’s journey at BCIC was a fascinating one that started at just age 16 as her first job out of high school. However, her sheer curiosity to understand insurance claims documents while in her entry-level position led her to such a dynamic career. Her unyielding passion and eagerness soon found her pursuing studies at the College of Insurance; however, as she grew in her career, Anderson decided to continue her studies by pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) in the United Kingdom. Eventually, she returned to Jamaica because she wanted to make a more significant impact on the industry.

Returning to her roots at BCIC, she had the opportunity to blend her overseas qualification and experiences, eventually being promoted every two years for nearly ten years, becoming the company’s first chief operating officer (COO).

Anderson emphasised that BCIC is an industry pioneer that has disrupted the industry by offering tech-driven solutions across their product offerings. She asserted that the pandemic accelerated their operations as their teams could seamlessly work in a remote environment. During the transition to work-from-home, she admitted that the company had challenges of staff mobility. Some employees did not have access to hardware devices like laptops and desktops, which the company responded to by managing the logistics of transporting those devices to remote locations. The company also reconfigured their network infrastructure PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems and CUG (Closed User Group) phones by integrating them with mobile devices, allowing automatic transfer of calls to employees’ phones.

Anderson disclosed that the company invested in software that allowed their brokers to e-mail documents to ensure business continuity without friction. The company also trained some brokers on how to use the technology. BCIC further introduced a quick pay solution that gave their clients the autonomy to pay their premiums online. As a client-centric company, BCIC rose to the challenge of providing grace periods through extended payment credit terms allowing clients up to 11 months to pay their premiums.

Before the pandemic, BCIC leveraged e-commerce solutions allowing clients to quote, buy, renew, and make claims reports, resulting an uptake in those services. They also introduced an electronic exchange of policies which allowed for efficient same-day processing of the documents. These tactical solutions resulted in positive business outcomes, including increased retention rates. The solutions were a learning opportunity that helped drive BCIC’s strategic digital transformation initiatives.

BCIC recently secured funding from their shareholders to embark on their organisation-wide digital transformation, exciting for Anderson and her team. They look forward to delivering more excellent value for their clients and partners.

Proud of the growth, impact and positive feedback from their customers, Anderson wants to be “a leader who created more leaders” by empowering people to become better versions of themselves — a thought process that she has applied to both her personal and professional life.