Meet the team - Chris Ullathorne Head of UK Sales and Development

“I started out in dealerships as a Trainee Business Manager, and although I progressed through to Sales Manager the finance and insurance side of the business was always central to my role,” says Chris.

Having spent 17 years working with brands such as Land Rover, Honda and Renault, Chris decided to take all that dealership experience and bring it into the world of insurance in 2017.

Global growth ambitions

Joining QBE as Sales and Development Manager with responsibility for south Wales and the south-west of England, Chris quickly progressed to National Development Manager before finally settling into his current role this year.

And such are the growth ambitions of QBE Automotive Protection that it’s not just his professional horizons that are expanding.

“I recently had the opportunity to be seconded to Asia where I have been working with the teams to get our proposition out to more and more clients across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam,” he says.

“Over the years I have developed a skill set for training and development so I am leading a piece of work that will see us introduce one way of working across our global footprint.

“No matter who the client is or where they are based, they will get the same great service from us.”

A team who truly understand dealers’ needs

Chris believes that QBE’s consistent high level of insurance service is all down to his team’s expert knowledge of the dealership market – right across the board.

“Having a team that really understands what it’s like to be a dealer, the issues they face and the demands of their customers makes a huge difference to the service we can provide,” he says.

“The true value of any insurance product comes when a claim has to be made and we really are a company that honours the policies it sells. Our digital capabilities and our understanding of our markets means that, in most cases, we can approve a claim in under 10 minutes.

“It’s the kind of service that dealers and their customers need, and it’s the kind of approach we take to every aspect of our relationships with dealers.”

Looking ahead

With a settled, highly experienced and collaborative team, Chris believes the future is bright for QBE Automotive Protection and its growing bank of clients. The only real challenge he sees is making more clients more aware of everything that QBE has to offer.

“When I visit our dealer partners, I feel valued and that I am enhancing their value proposition when they engage with their customers,” says Chris.

“However, one client recently described us as being the best kept secret in the market. It’s a great compliment but that’s the challenge for us now.

“We need to get our expertise and knowledge out there far and wide so more dealerships can see what a great company we really are and how we can help them improve their customer loyalty, as well as their bottom line.”