Co-Chairing a Planning Meeting for MB&G Insurance

Case Study: Co-Chairing a Planning Meeting for MB&G Insurance

Client Overview
MB&G Insurance is a market leader in Motor and Leisure warranty, leveraging its success to expand into affordable, high-quality insurance coverage across various sectors. They emphasise that real freedom comes from knowing customers are safe and supported by fast and friendly experts should they encounter any bumps in the road. With a commitment to covering all types of vehicles, MB&G aims to provide customers with everyday peace of mind.

The Challenge
As part of their ongoing drive for ever improved customer service excellence, MB&G embarked on a key management information (MI) initiative, recognising that effective MI coordination across departments was vital for regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. The company’s annual planning meeting had traditionally followed an informal roundtable format, but with MI improvements becoming a top priority, the CEO wanted to refresh the structure while retaining the familiar collaborative atmosphere.

The Approach
The CEO and I decided to co-chair the meeting to take advantage of his deep knowledge of the industry and regulatory landscape, combined with my broad operational experience. This collaboration ensured we could balance industry expertise with a focus on actionable operational improvements.

In preparation for the meeting, I held discussions with each attendee to guide them in creating concise seven-slide presentations. These presentations focused on:

1. Reflections on the past 12 months, including successes and areas for improvement.
2. Key objectives for the upcoming year.
3. The specific MI required to support their departmental goals.

These preparatory discussions ensured that all attendees were aligned with the expectations for the meeting and ready to contribute meaningfully.

Meeting Execution
The day was structured into two key segments:

• Morning Session: We began with a systematic agenda where each department presented their slides. This gave a clear view of the past year’s performance, upcoming goals, and MI needs, helping align everyone on MB&G’s strategic focus.
• Afternoon Session: The afternoon featured a more relaxed format that allowed for free-flowing discussions. Having established the context in the morning, the CEO and I were able to guide the conversation dynamically, ensuring it remained focused on MI improvements while allowing space for organic dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.

This blend of structure and flexibility kept the meeting on track and fostered a collaborative environment.

Outcomes
Several key outcomes emerged from the meeting:

• Active Participation: The management team, fully prepared through our pre-meeting discussions, actively engaged throughout the day. Their concise presentations kept discussions focused and productive.
• Successful Co-Chairing: The co-chairing model worked well, with the CEO’s expertise in industry regulations complementing my operational insights. This dynamic allowed us to adjust the meeting flow as needed, ensuring we stayed aligned with our MI objectives.
• Ongoing Engagement: Following the meeting’s success, several attendees expressed a desire for additional support, requesting our participation in their departmental planning sessions and one-on-one follow-ups to implement their MI plans.

Conclusion
By co-chairing the planning meeting with MB&G’s CEO, we effectively balanced structure and flexibility, ensuring active engagement from the management team. The pre-meeting preparation and dynamic flow throughout the day allowed us to meet key MI improvement objectives, making the event a significant success. As a result, our involvement has been sought for future departmental planning and implementation support, further driving MB&G’s strategic MI agenda forward and enhancing their commitment to providing affordable, high-quality insurance coverage that ensures peace of mind for their customers.