Hello, I'm John Kitson, and this is my blog.

The feedback on the video blog came flooding in, we even made backchat, seems most of you appreciated my willingness to make a fool of myself! I wonder once John has departed will I manage to force myself out of my comfort zone quite so much, in a strange sort of way I hope so, though maybe a purple mermaid costume is a once in a lifetime thing!

I can’t believe it’s the first Friday in Feb, 5 weeks into my new job, with my new boss who is out and about getting to know as many brokers as possible.  Like most I spent January trying to exercise, be healthier and cut down my alcohol intake, although sometimes I think I’m in the wrong job for all that, plus the fact I’m far too easily led astray.

John – We started, we started, sorry I started this blog with a little group of friends about a year ago and to start off the New Year 2010 we thought we’d do a little video blog as a one off, see how it goes and if its popular I think we’ll run it again, but this is the first sort of video blog we have done and we hope you like it.

What were your highlights of 2009?

Janice – One was being asked to dress as a mermaid, one of John’s wonderful ideas, which was Janice should dress as a mermaid for the key partner conference.

John interrupts – sorry Janice we are doing highlights

*Janice laughs and slaps John’s hand*

*Clip of Janice as a mermaid*

Janice – so yeah, one of them was being asked to be a mermaid.

John interrupts – that was – it was very funny

Janice – the highlight…

At this time of the year, my job becomes more of a trial of endurance and recovery than the nuts and bolts of everyday trading. Everyone has a party and you can trip from bar to restaurant to bar in the City from noon till midnight, often rubbing shoulders with the same brokers and competitors, all taking their turns to host and be hosted.

Maybe I should dedicate my first blog in my new role to confirming that Aviva’s broker strategy is unchanged. But I won’t because you’ll hear that lots and lots from Mark and David in the next few weeks and months.

I’ve been receiving a lot of feedback recently from a number of places. It started last Sunday on a cool rugby pitch in Norfolk where my son Tom had just finished an under 8’s training session and the coaches came across to me to give me some positive feedback on his progress.  To give this some context it’s been a tough start to the season for Tom having moved up two teams, leaving behind his school mates and its fair to say he’s experienced some difficulty staying on the park during matches due to some over-exuberance in the tackle and a desire not just to take the tag (its non-contact until next year) but often the opposing player as well! Roll on next season.

Take you back 4 weeks…

“Kitson leaves to go fishing” – screamed the papers. (Ok it was shouted, ok whispered and well a few papers- well ok Insurance ones).

“You’re not going fishing are you…that’s a lie…it must be”…came the email traffic.

“You’ll be back anyway…You’ll miss the cut and thrust…if not the money…!”

“Were you sacked? that’s the rumour…”

“So what will you miss in ‘Brokerland’, John?”

“Don’t you mean who?” I said.

“OK, who…?”

Now it’s been quite a week for one reason and another. Whenever I write the blog I’m always looking for the gem of an idea, something interesting to write about.

Not so last week, as Aviva hits the headlines. Behind every headline there is a story, the story this time isn’t mine it’s John’s. The only thing I can add to the many, many press interviews John has given is from my heart. And that’s just pure and simply how much I’ll miss him. Relationships like ours are a rare thing in business, and like all wonderful things it had to end sometime. We’re still together for another 6 months and I intend to make the most of it. As for the speculation about me, don’t write me off just yet, I intend to be around for a long time to come.

As my colleagues are all returning from their holidays,

And a wonderful warm dry summer in Norfolk turns to Autumn overnight,

And I get drenched getting off the train at 9 in the evening and drive home in the dark,

Unprecedented economic conditions, thousands of claims going through our Supply Chain every week, bedding in our new Claims processes with our Suppliers and our Centres of Excellence, exciting prospects with our Brokers and changing our Brand – that’s my world at work at the moment!

Now a bit about me……………

As the world departs for its annual hols you’re stuck with me again, sorry! John is off for a few weeks, and so are many others, and I’m planning to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Article 1:

“Aviva clear winners in best product…head and shoulders above…with 53% of brokers saying best range”

Meeting 1:

“Service is the same as last year – good, consistent…Aviva’s still leading…nothing really to discuss John other than the little scheme idea I’ve got.”

If there has been one theme running through my life over the last six months, its change – with a capital C!

Brokers have given our new Aviva Broker site the big thumbs up (thanks for all your feedback!).  You tell us that it’s great to find everything you need in one place, from product information and the latest news to Fast Trade, our fab new quote-and-buy facility. You also say it’s easy to navigate and you like the improved referral process and being able to get copies of quotes and documents in just two clicks.

So picture the scene … it’s August 21st 2006 … 1.15pm to be precise.

I’ve been crouching behind a tree for the best part of two hours without touching the water … watching … alert … scanning the surface.

But I’m poised … really poised.

On Thursday 2nd April we launched Facility 110*; a new, complementary business-placing facility that’s exclusive to Club 110 members.

It’s great news because members can now look to Facility 110 to provide underwriting solutions for risks that fall outside of Aviva’s remit.

If you reckon you could beat John Kitson in a penalty shoot out and you fancy a new iPod touch as your latest super-gadget, remember to play Flick It; our celebratory finger footy game!

To celebrate the switch to Aviva, we launched a great new game of finger footy, with a fantastic iPod touch as the prize.

Ta-daaaa, www.aviva.co.uk/broker, your new website is here. Take a look around. As you’ll see, it’s all about you. Your needs as a broker, what makes your job easier and which navigation works best for you.

Over 200 years, any insurance company is bound to have a few bizarre claims to investigate. We dug into the archives and found some extraordinary claims.

Famous Norwich Union employees. Some surprising colleagues from the archives…

Ever wondered what your regular Norwich Union contacts do outside work? It turns out we’ve got quite a record of celebrity employees.

Insurance has been around for a lot longer than your customers might think. I’ve gone back to the start of it all – and picked out a few choice nuggets from Norwich Union’s 212-year history on the way.

“Okay, there’s three weeks to go before you dump the Norwich Union name. How are you feeling?”

“We’re not dumping the name – as you put it … we’re changing the name,” I retort …  I don’t remember Bruce saying “sometimes dumping your name is a chance to show the world who you’ve always wanted to be”.

“Okay … change/dump – same thing…How are you feeling?” came the reply snippily.

Quite a few people read this … okay, a few … well, you do!

Well, at least people give me ideas for content … and what to write about …

No, they do really … quite a lot actually …

But if it’s not about Aviva (or sort of related) then it is a no no …

Why?

GUARANTEED RETURN OF PREMIUM IF……?

So this is the context……

A customer rings. It’s urgent.

I always respond quickly…look at all the details…etc…It’s what I’m here for…

It was a Broker’s customer…OK…a rareish event.

“So,” he said “now you’re Aviva, you’re even more big and faceless”.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Now you’re global, you’ll lose touch with your local roots.”

“Of course,” I sighed.

“Big Corporations – don’t give a !*!! about individuals” … (language Timothy….!)

So will she?

Has she?

Could she?

Did she?

Hi I’m Janice.

I’m now doing something I’ve never done before, even in these days of technology, blogs and twitters, it seems like everybody’s at it but me. I’ve managed to survive without ever writing a blog. This week, I’ve decided to get in on the act so I’m writing a guest blog for John.

One rule of the media I was taught in one of those ‘media training days’, you know the ones where you’re asked to write a press release; you do a mock radio phone-in, you’re given tips and techniques, told how to stand, what shirt to wear (never stripes or checks, which takes out 95% of my shirts. I have one special media shirt – it’s dull!)

You know what, you think you have a great relationship with the Insurance press.

You make yourself available, you put forward spokespeople, you brief them in advance on big initiatives, strategic “journeys”(!) and you very very occasionally give them an ‘off the record’ snippet/comment. and then you agree to do a running commentary on the biggest financial services rebrand ever in the UK – and you do it in a ‘bloggish’ style to try something new.

3 weeks in and I’ve certainly had some feedback on this, not all positive but as they say in HR, “all feedback is a gift”. So thanks for all your presents, Santa was busy.

It’s fair to say that certainly in the Broker market awareness of the name change is at an all time high (so it should be) and some say “bring it on”, “about time”. Others question the wisdom of the timing.

I don’t like the word “blog” so I won’t use it, but that’s what this is supposed to be (at least that’s what the Insurance Times boys tell me).

I hope it’s worthwhile for you, but give it time.

For me it has got to be a regular update on what’s happening to Norwich Union as we change our name to Aviva (no mean feat!).