David Williams

Chair CII Underwriting Faculty, MD Claims & Underwriting, AXA

Biography

David has over 20 Years experience in General Insurance, roles including Chief Commercial Underwriter at one of AXA’s largest branches, Reinsurance Manager, Casualty Insurance Manager, before moving to claims in 2003.

He was heavily involved in the government and ABI responses to the ‘Liability Crisis’ in his previous role as Casualty Manager, and continues his lobbying work as the insurance industry looks to remove unnecessary costs and delay from the current adversarial compensation process.

David is a non Executive Director of AXA Assistance UK, a Board Member of the CII / CILA Faculty of Claims, and was a Director of Thatcham, the Insurance Industry Motor Vehicle Research Institute for four years.

He is a member of the AXA Group Claims Board and has represented the UK on Asbestos, Health, Pollution and Fraud issues. He speaks regularly at conferences and other events in the UK and Europe on a variety of subjects including most recently improving customer satisfaction, flooding and climate change.

David has also appeared on BBC Breakfast TV, BBC and Channel 4 News, as well as Radio 4’s ‘Today’ Programme, being interviewed on topics varying from Compensation Culture to Business Crime.

David originally hails from Bristol but now lives in Suffolk with his wife Catherine and 2 young sons Evan & Ryan.

Nick Smith

Global Managing Director, Marketing Transformation, Accenture

Biography

Nick Smith is responsible for Accenture’s Marketing Transformation practice.

At Accenture, Nick has primarily worked in Media, Telecommunications and Retail businesses defining and delivering programmes designed to create value or optimise investment via Brand and Reputation Management, Proposition, Digital as a service, sales and dialogue channel, Data and Systems Implementation, to support a differentiated multi channel Customer Service.

He has over 20 years experience in Advertising, Marketing and Customer Relationship Management, with a track record of value creation through effective operational sales and marketing initiatives. Nick is also recognised as an expert in creating value from Customer relationships.

Nick joined Accenture in 2006 from British Gas where he served as Director of Marketing and Strategy from 2001, and was responsible for brand marketing for all British Gas products and services to its 15 million customers.

Nick was Chairman of the UK Marketing Society 2005 -07, a member of ISBA’s Executive 2001-05, and was appointed to Council of Marketing Group of Great Britain in 2010.