The Judging Panel

The judging panel consists of market experts and practitioners, analysts, consultants, industry commentators and political representatives that have a genuine expertise in every category, ensuring that the expertise is shared by at least 2 judges to spread the load and to ensure that no prejudices, gaps in knowledge or conflicts of interest cloud the decision-making process.

Each year there is a balance to be struck between bringing in fresh thinking while retaining the experience gained from previous years. On the whole, this resolves itself because people´s roles or their ability to commit the time to the BIA change and this creates a natural turnover.

The selection of a chair is a key decision as the post requires additional work and sets the tone for the discussions when the panel meets. The chairmanship is regularly reviewed and this year we are welcoming back the 2009 chairman and long standing judging panel member Rick Hudson.

From among those judges committed to a particular category, one or two lead judges are nominated and are responsible for leading the discussion at the judging days. The lead judges review all the background material sent in with the entries. All of this material is available to all the judges when they meet, which happens three times.

The first two days are designated as preliminary judging days, with half of the categories dealt with on each day.

The final judging day reviews all of the categories with the aim of drawing up the shortlists and, as far as possible, deciding the winners.

Chair: Rick Hudson, past president, Chartered Insurance Institute

Andy Baldwin, managing partner - accounts, industries & business development, Ernst & Young
Barbara Bradshaw, chief executive, Institute of Insurance Brokers
Jack Brownhill, director, World Motor Insurance Consultancy
Lucian Camp, chairman & executive creative director, Tangible-Financial
Eric Galbraith, chief executive, British Insurance Brokers’ Association
Anthony Gould, group editor in chief, Incisive Media
Paul Howard, chair, Association of Insurance & Risk Managers
Olly Laughton-Scott, managing partner, IMAS Corporate Advisors
Peter Le Beau, managing director, Le Beau Visage Consultancy
Sean McGovern, director & general counsel, Lloyd’s of London
Donald Martin, director, Chandler Gilmour Associates
Prof. Chris Parsons PhD FCII, professor in insurance, Cass Business School
Dr Sandy Scott, chief executive, Chartered Insurance Institute
Martin Shaw, chief executive, Association of Financial Mutuals
David Slade, chairman, Perkins Slade
Nick Starling, director of general insurance & health, Association of British Insurers
Jonathan Swift, editor, Post
Andrew Tjaardstra, editor, Professional Broking
Ashton West, chief executive, Motor Insurers’ Bureau
Gerald Williams, director, Fitzgerald Consulting
Mark Winlow, partner, KPMG