ALARM Scotland Conference 2024: Re-set the ALARM

Nick Addis

Risk Assurance & Analysis Manager, Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Nick has been a Risk Manager for over two years and has recently completed the IRM International Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management. He has been involved in a wide range of risk activities including assuring high value project risks, as well as advising Executive Committee board members on strategic risk approach. Before that he was a police officer for over 15 years, dynamically managing and controlling risks.

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Lesley Allan

Partner, Kennedys

Lesley is a Partner in Kennedys' Celtic Team. Her practice focuses on public sector, third sector and blue light issues. She regularly acts for local authorities, care service providers, educational, and charitable organisations. Lesley has acted for clients in a wide range of social care and safeguarding issues, including claims related to moving and handling, management of challenging behaviours, historical abuse claims, and fatal accident inquiries. Lesley has represented clients in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and advised clients on potential engagement in the Redress Scheme, which offers an alternative to litigation for survivors of historical child abuse.

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Eric Alter

Risk & Cyber Engagement Leader, Marsh

Eric joined Marsh in 2007 and has in excess of 25 years' risk management experience; this includes working directly for a public sector entity. Eric specialises in working with clients to create awareness of specific areas of risk and then creates proportionate mitigation strategies that improve insurability and governance. Eric acts as Senior Relationship Officer on a number of accounts, including a large public sector entity and understands and appreciates the challenges facing the sector.

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Adam Bayliss

Chartered Insurer - Senior Underwriter, Maven Public Sector

Adam has been working in insurance for over 20 years with 16 years sector specific experience where he’s been delivering and supporting a wide range of public sector insurance programmes. Adam’s knowledge and experience covers a broad range of areas including technical underwriting, risk control and claims management ensuring the delivery of bespoke, flexible, and tailor-made solutions.  

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Ross Cheape

Service Manager for Inpatient, Emergency, Perinatal and Forensic Mental Health Service, NHS Forth Valley

No bio provided

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Debbie Connor

Senior Associate, DWF

Debbie is a Senior Associate and accredited specialist in personal injury law, having joined DWF from Clyde & Co in May 2020. Her specific areas of expertise include fraud and mainstream employers' liability, public liability and road traffic accident claims. Debbie has spent her 20 year career dealing with defender reparation work and appears regularly in courts throughout Scotland. 

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Jane Cooper

Risk & Business Continuity Manager, Shropshire Council

Jane is Risk & Business Continuity Team Leader at Shropshire Council where she develops and delivers all risk management training and is responsible for the opportunity risk management strategy and business continuity planning. Jane is President-Elect of ALARM.

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Matthew Dawson

Senior Underwriter, Maven Public Sector

Matt has over 16 years’ experience in the insurance industry and most of that time in an underwriting capacity. Gaining experience from working in general mid-market commercial insurance for six years, Matt then moved into the public sector insurance underwriting in 2016. Matt is responsible for the overall policy underwriting lifecycle of public sector policies. Matt works alongside the Maven Public Sector team to provide support on all the main cover types. In addition, he is responsible for our existing client book by providing MTA/query support and regularly meets with clients and brokers to oversee and maintain service quality.

 

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Phil Farrar

National Development Director, Risk Management Partners

Phil began his career in 1986 with Municipal Mutual and worked at two of their branches where he stayed for 12 years, working as part of their National Public Sector Team. He joined RMP in 2004, where he was responsible for service delivery in the North of England and Scotland, as well as managing his own accounts.

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Matthew Hardwick

Senior Risk Consultant, Zurich Municipal

Matt has over ten years' experience of risk management, with extensive experience in supporting senior managers, corporate leaders and operational managers in understanding what good looks like, and how to embed these practices across their organsiations. Matt has worked across the public sector, extensively with local authorities, as well as taking an active lead with third sector organisations. 

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Louise Houliston

Partner, Kennedys

Louise is a partner in our Scottish liability team, based in the Edinburgh office.

She has over 16 years’ experience defending and pursuing motor, EL/PL and property damage cases in Sheriff Courts and the Court of Session.

Louise heads up the fraud team in Scotland, collaborating with colleagues and market leaders north and south of border, as well as the other Celtic jurisdictions to identify and combat fraud. She was one of the first solicitors in Scotland to run a Court of Session proof on fundamental dishonesty.

Louise is a member of the FOIL Fraud Sector Focus Team in Scotland, the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association (HSLA) and has published a number of articles. Louise provides clients with training on Scottish procedure, costs and legal updates.

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Ruth Kydd

Insurance Manager, City of Edinburgh Council

Ruth started working in insurance in 2004, and has worked in insurance with local government since 2015. Her current role is Insurance Manager for the City of Edinburgh Council and she is Chair of the ALARM Scotland Group.

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Karen Locke

Risk Manager, Renfrewshire Council

Karen has over 20 years’ experience working in risk management; the first five years with the NHS and thereafter in local government. She is currently Risk Manager at Renfrewshire Council. Karen enjoys building lasting relationships with other risk and insurance professionals and finds great value in learning and sharing best practice together. Karen is currently the President of ALARM and leads the Leadership & Influence portfolio.

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Lynne Macfarlane

Partner & Solicitor Advocate, DWF

Lynne is a Partner, Solicitor Advocate and accredited specialist in personal injury law. Lynne joined DWF from Clyde & Co. in September 2019 to strengthen and develop the firm's technical expertise in complex and high value litigation. Lynne's depth of experience in the sector, combined with her knowledge of the market, and client contacts, significantly enhances DWF's Scottish offering. She has extensive experience acting for local authorities throughout Scotland and has defended a huge variety of local authority claims in her 20 year career.

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Julia Reffell

Managing Director - Public Sector Practice, Marsh

Julia Reffell is Managing Director, Public Sector Practice at Marsh. Julia leads a specialist team that delivers risk management and insurance solutions for public sector organisations and social housing providers.

Marsh offers a comprehensive range of risk management and insurance broking services, whilst working in close partnership with each client to deliver a programme tailored to individual needs.

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Mark Sangster

Executive Director (North), Gallagher

Mark’s main focus is the delivery of ongoing insurance broking and advisory services to a variety of public sector bodies, some of which are the largest example of their risk types in the UK.   

Mark has worked for Gallagher for over 20 years, the majority of which has been within the Public Sector & Education practice (PSE). During this time he has developed his role servicing the requirements of the northern England and Scotland based PSE clients and is now Executive Director for the PSE practice in the North & Scotland, responsible for ensuring the delivery of excellent service to our clients.

Mark has expert knowledge of:

• Unconventional risk transfer methods.
• Formal tender procedures and project management skills.
• Specific sector insurance and risk issues and solutions.

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Alex Sawers

Chartered Insurance Broker, Gallagher

Alex has over 30 years' experience working in the insurance sector and has worked with public sector clients since 1996, initially with Marsh and for the last 17 years with Gallagher. Alex brings his experience to a wide range of clients in Scotland including universities, local authorities, leisure trusts and other public bodies. In his role as Divisional Director within the Gallagher Glasgow office, he comes across many and varied opportunities to share his experience with his team that look after the needs of his clients.

Gemma Swankie

Client Development Director, QANW

Gemma Swankie is the Client Development Director for QANW. Gemma has a wealth of knowledge on Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) and all things financial protection after working with QANW for 16 years! As a Client Development Director, Gemma aims to educate the public sector on the benefits and savings for budgets that IBGs can bring. 

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Andrew Tolmie

Partner, Clyde & Co LLP

Andrew is a Partner and insurance and commercial disputes specialist based in our Edinburgh office acting for major insurers, local authorities and corporate clients in a wide range of disputes.

The majority of his practice is in the Court of Session and Sheriff Personal Injury Court in high value, catastrophic and fatal personal injury cases including employer’s liability, public liability and road traffic accidents. Andrew also represents insurers property damage and product liability disputes.

Andrew regularly provides training to insurer clients and local authorities on a range of topical issues under Scots law.

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Shermela Toulon

Risk Assurance & Analysis Manager, Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Shermela is a Risk Assurance & Analysis Manager who started her career at a radio station as a receptionist. She had no idea in years to come she would play a role in defence as a Risk Assurance & Analysis Manager looking at infrastructure risk across the estate.

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Alison Tyler

Partner, Clyde & Co LLP

Alison is a Partner in our Edinburgh office, specialising in representing insurer, commercial and public sector clients in large loss claims. Having worked predominantly with public sector clients throughout her career, Alison has gained in-depth knowledge of the processes, policies and procedures involved in defending claims for public bodies. She regularly works in partnership with in-house legal teams and has a keen understanding of their approach to litigation.

Alison has a broad practice with a focus on personal injury work and judicial review/public law work, mainly in the Court of Session and All Scotland Personal Injury Court.

Alison is an experienced legal trainer, having provided training to insurer clients and local authorities on both substantive and procedural elements of Scots law.

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Chris Walker

Head of Risk Management, Durham University

Chris has experience of working in housing, private sector insurance and is currently the Head of Risk Management at Durham University. With nine years under his belt as an ALARM Director, Chris currently serves as the organisation's Finance Director and has oversight of ALARM's finances. He also leads the ALARM Higher & Further Education Group and the Regions & Sectors portfolio.

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Gordon Wilmott

Head of Public Services, Zurich Municipal

Gordon is a Head of Market for Public Services at Zurich Municipal, where he leads the division in meeting the needs of its customers. Providing tailored risk management and insurance solutions to support clients in maximising their impact and delivering for their communities. Gordon has also lead the division supporting the third sector in his time with Zurich Municipal. Prior to his roles in Zurich Muncipal, Gordon's career was in marketing & communications where he held a number of senior roles.

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