Hiscox

A specialist insurer with roots in Lloyd's of London, offering business insurance, fine art and high-value home cover through offices across the UK including York and Colchester.

About Hiscox

Hiscox is an international insurer that specialises in niche markets. It began at Lloyd's of London and today sells cover to small businesses and professionals, to wealthy home owners and art collectors, and to large companies through the London Market. Its products range from professional indemnity and cyber cover to fine art, classic cars, kidnap and ransom, and political risk. It is a FTSE 100 company, and its group head office is in Bermuda.

Hiscox says it has held a strong set of values for decades and wants them to guide decisions and create a workplace where employees can flourish. It talks about operating as "One Hiscox", using the strength of the whole group, and about building a brand that customers can relate to. The exact wording of the values appears in a graphic on its website, so read them there. Its best-known brand line is "as good as our word".

The roots go back to 1901, when the Roberts agency began underwriting marine insurance at Lloyd's. Ralph Hiscox formed the Roberts and Hiscox partnership in 1946. His son Robert Hiscox joined Syndicate 33 in 1967 and took over the partnership in 1970. Robert is now Honorary President. The group was listed on the London Stock Exchange main market in 1997 and moved its base to Bermuda in 2006. Aki Hussain is the current chief executive.

Hiscox lists seven UK offices on its own site. London (22 Bishopsgate) is home to Syndicate 33, the Lloyd's team, Hiscox London Market and Hiscox Re. Colchester (Hiscox House) is a large site with underwriting, broker service, claims, IT, compliance and finance teams. York, in a purpose-built building inside the city walls, is the heart of the direct-to-consumer business and houses the Customer Experience Centre. Regional offices in Birmingham, Glasgow, Maidenhead and Manchester serve brokers in their areas, from Scotland and Northern Ireland to the Midlands and the South West.

The Colchester page lists teams in underwriting, broker service, claims, IT, compliance, reinsurance and accounts, which shows how many kinds of job there are in one insurer. Others include customer service in York, sales and broker relationships in the regions, actuarial and data work, and legal and risk roles. Hiscox's website also mentions hybrid working, employee networks, and learning and development, which are the company's own descriptions of its working life.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Professional indemnity, cyber and property cover for small businesses and professionals.', 'title': 'Business insurance'}
• {'desc': 'High-value homes, fine art, classic cars and other collections.', 'title': 'Home and art insurance'}
• {'desc': "Specialist cover for large and unusual risks through Lloyd's and Hiscox Re.", 'title': 'London Market and reinsurance'}

Key facts

• Roots go back to 1901 at Lloyd's; Roberts and Hiscox partnership formed in 1946
• Seven UK offices: London, Colchester, York, Birmingham, Glasgow, Maidenhead and Manchester
• Group head office in Bermuda; listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the FTSE 100
• York office is the base for direct-to-consumer insurance and houses the Customer Experience Centre

Website: www.hiscoxgroup.com