The Insurance Institute of Manchester
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President's Message

Welcome To the Insurance Institute of Manchester

As we enter our 152nd year in 2025/26, I am honoured to serve as your President. I’m Marc Hargreaves, and my journey in the insurance industry began in 2007 with the Allianz Graduate Scheme in Manchester.

Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working with LV, Ageas, and Zurich. My passion for insurance was ignited during an internship at Allianz in Munich while pursuing my German degree. Witnessing firsthand how our work helps people and businesses recover from potentially devastating losses truly inspired me.

This year, I have several key goals and initiatives that I am excited to share with you. First, we will be launching an on-demand CPD section on our website, providing flexible learning opportunities for all our members. We will also continue with our successful IIM Bitesize series, offering introductions to various lines of business. Additionally, we have some standout soft skills CPD sessions already booked in, so be sure to check the website for ‘save the dates’.

Over the past 14 years, I’ve volunteered on most committees within the IIM, but my heart lies with CPD. Bringing in quality speakers to discuss relevant topics and enhance the knowledge and skills of our insurance professionals in Manchester has been incredibly rewarding. This experience will help me ensure we continue to offer top-notch resources and support to our members.

I am also pleased to announce that we are looking at relaunching our Emerging Professionals offering, led by my new Deputy President, Emma Ackers. Emma will be consulting on how we can better involve newcomers to the profession and improve our relevance to younger demographics. This initiative aims to support and develop the next generation of insurance professionals in our community.

Supporting my chosen charity, Henshaws, is another key focus for this year. Henshaws is a cause close to my heart as they support individuals with sight loss, and I have a severe visual impairment myself. We will be organising various fundraising events and activities, including some socials that will involve Henshaws, to raise awareness and support for their incredible work.

We have an exciting year ahead with a full programme of social and networking events. This includes our football tournament, darts, and the IIM BIBA BBQ - all of which will be in person. We are also looking at introducing a pre-BIBA Padel tournament, which should be a fun and engaging way to connect with your peers.

I warmly invite all of you to join us for at least one event this year. It’s a great opportunity to connect with your peers and make the most of what our vibrant community has to offer.

A big thank you to all our sponsors for their ongoing support of our events and activities. Your generosity is what makes all of this possible.

Platinum Sponsor - Zurich

Gold Sponsors – HSB, Crawford, Clyde & Co, Ignite, McLarens and Bravo Networks

Here’s to an incredible year ahead!

Best wishes,

Marc Hargreaves