Account Executive - Commercial & Schemes

Howden Group Holdings; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden Group Holdings in Cheltenham is seeking an Account Executive to join our Travel & Schools renewals team. You will be responsible for managing and renewing a portfolio of Education sector partners, including tour operators, language schools and independent schools.

The role involves ongoing account management to deliver exceptional service, face-to-face renewal visits, and collaboration with internal stakeholders to drive growth.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent).
• Cert CII (desirable for this role).
• 2+ years insurance experience preferred but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage, develop and renew a portfolio of Education sector partnerships (tour operators, language schools, independent schools).
• Negotiate renewal terms and prepare professional renewal presentations.
• Maintain regular contact with partners to foster strong relationships and drive renewal opportunities.
• Travel to partner meetings and attend client events as required.
• Diary management and scheduling of appointments and meetings.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure account success.

Skills

Excellent communication

Negotiation skills

Relationship building

Diary management

Target achievement

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Cert CII

Job description

Who are we? Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden. At Howden, Commercial & Schemes, commercial insurance isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are. We support our clients through the complex landscape of commercial risk. We understand the diverse needs of businesses from large corporates to emerging ventures, meticulously crafting bespoke solutions to empower businesses to navigate uncertainty and achieve unwavering growth. Our depth of commercial insurance expertise allows us to protect client’s assets and fuel their progress. When our clients prosper, we celebrate success with them; when challenges arise, we provide unwavering support.

Join us as an Account Executive in our office in Cheltenham and become a vital part of our dynamic renewals team. This role will be responsible for contributing to our Travel & Schools Strategy and entails day-to-day management of our existing partnerships in the Education sector, specifically focused on tour operators, language schools and independent schools. This includes ongoing account management to deliver an exceptional service for our customers. The role will require occasional face to face renewal visits with clients and event attendance. This role will also include collaboration across strong internal and external relationships with key internal stakeholders to ensure success. Please note this is a full-time, permanent opportunity. You will be based in our Cheltenham office and ideally be onsite for 2 days per week on average.

Overview

• Responsible for managing, developing and renewing a portfolio of accounts with our existing partners to support increased growth and income.
• Establish suitable distribution methods to effectively negotiate renewal rates and terms, compiling adequate data to compose a professional renewal presentation.
• Ensure ongoing contact with our existing partners to maintain positive relationships.
• Exceeding annual targets.
• Ensure that our Appointed Representative (AR) partners are distributing products compliantly and within the parameters of the AR framework.
• Use initiative to find opportunities for leads to other areas of the business.
• Travel to partner meetings and attend client promotional events.
• Managing own diary and booking appointments and meetings.
• Day-to-day management of existing partnerships in the Education sector, focused on tour operators, language schools and independent schools.
• Ongoing account management to deliver an exceptional service for our customers.
• Occasional face-to-face renewal visits with clients.
• Attendance at events.
• Collaboration across internal and external relationships with key stakeholders.

Knowledge

A minimum of 2 years' experience working in the insurance industry is preferred but not essential.

Skills

• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to understand people and build rapport, adapting styles of communication accordingly.
• Ability to exceed individual targets and deadlines as defined by the business plan.
• Multi-tasking and organisational skills with attention to detail, quick assessment, and effective workload prioritisation.
• The ability to manage your own diary, working to tight deadlines with accuracy.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent).
• Cert CII (desirable for this role).

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us: Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new. We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges. We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*. *Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations.

Permanent Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we’re a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.