60 seconds with…IHC’s consulting manager, Gemma Milford

Tell us a bit about your new role
During my 11 years at IHC, the health insurance landscape has seen huge changes. In particular, we’ve seen a move away from talking to clients about PMI and specific insurances to focusing more on overall employee wellbeing. Looking to reflect this and to better meet our clients’ needs to address group health as a whole, in my role as consulting manager I will oversee all areas that touch a company’s employee health and wellbeing whether it’s PMI, health screening, EAPs, mental health week campaigns and so on.

In this role, I will also ensure we keep our consultants updated on the changing developments in the market and share valuable information across the business to consistently improve the service we offer to our clients.

Having been in this business for 25 years, IHC is always looking to the future, looking at how we can grow and develop the business. Our success is down to the fantastic team we have in place and this new centralised focus on wellbeing will also enable us to retain and promote our people to the best of their ability. As we look towards the next 25 years, we want to continue to grow and adapt to make sure we are in the best position possible to meet the changing needs of our clients.

How will this benefit IHC’s clients?
This focus on wellbeing as a whole will ensure a gold level of service across IHC enabling us to deliver a quality standard in every aspect of our work with clients.

What are your top three priorities over the next 6-12 months?

• Continuing to uphold IHC’s reputation for personal service
• Ensuring that we develop as group health advisors and making clients aware that we can support them with any aspect that touches the wellbeing agenda
• Focusing internally on our team to ensure we are highly skilled and can provide the best possible advice to our clients

What would make your working day easier?
If I could have more hours in the day! But failing that I have found that new technology such as Skype calls and Facetime has been really helpful in enabling me to be in three places at once!

What do you like most about working in this industry?
I’m a self-confessed insurance geek but I also feel our industry and IHC, in particular, makes a difference through our positive impact on workplace health. And because wellbeing is so high on the HR agenda, we really get to know our clients working with people from the bottom to the top of the organisation. We are able to develop very personal relationships and really understand their employees and I like that we have become trusted advisors and in many cases, an extension of their team.

If you could have any job, what would it be?
I’m lucky that I love my job but as someone who loves taking part in Amateur Dramatics in my spare time, perhaps in another life I might release my inner actress and would be on the stage!

What’s your favourite quote or motto?
I think people would say my most used phase at work would be ‘What about Jersey?’! As I look after the whole offshore portfolio for IHC, I’m always keen to ensure our offshore clients are represented!

What are you most proud of?
From a work perspective, I’m very proud of the fact that I have my own portfolio of clients and also the recognition I’ve had from contacts who have taken me and IHC with them when they have changed jobs and moved to a new organisation.

From a personal point of view, I am immensely proud of my little girl, Emily, who has completely changed my life! I am very fortunate to be able to juggle both my home and personal life in a way that enables me to give everything to both my job and my child.

To talk to IHC about the different ways we can support your employee’s health and wellbeing, call us on 020 7353 4099.