As we countdown to Broker Expo in October we caught up with Zoe Williams, divisional director of exhibitor Blink Intermediary Solutions who explains how it can help make life easier for brokers by discovering innovative insurance products.
You are exhibiting at the 2025 Broker Expo; why should delegates come and visit your stand?
At Blink Intermediary Solutions, we’re all about making life easier for brokers. Whether they want to discover innovative insurance products, find new growth opportunities, or just have a meaningful conversation about the challenges they’re facing, our stand is the place to start.
Delegates will be greeted by our friendly team of business development managers who each look after a sales territory in the UK.
They’ll listen to brokers’ needs and growth aspirations and provide an invaluable conduit to our extensive panel of providers which spans commercial lines, personal lines and a whole host of business support services, helping to build profitable and sustainable partnerships. We’re here to help brokers work smarter, save time, and grow their business, on their terms.
There has been a lot of talk about 2025 being a softer, more competitive marketplace; what advice do you give colleagues to help them gain an advantage when looking to close deals?
Stay close to your clients, get to know what they truly need – not just what’s on paper, but what actually matters to them. Provide thorough recommendations and make the whole process smooth and easy. In a competitive market, being the broker who’s easiest to work with can make a huge difference.
Soft skills play an important role, how you communicate, how you build trust, how you show you actually care. That’s where real, lasting value comes from.
Don’t just pop up at renewal time. Stay visible and proactive throughout the year. Share helpful updates, market insights, or benchmarks, things that are genuinely useful to your clients. That way, when it’s time to make a decision, you’re already at the forefront.
Is AI all a load of hype; the future of insurance; or something in between?
No, it’s not just hype but it’s not magic either. AI really is transforming parts of the insurance value chain, and its impact is only going to grow. The key is to understand what it can do without falling into the trap of thinking it’s a silver bullet or something to be afraid of.
AI isn’t about replacing people. It’s about making better decisions, delivering faster, more personalised service, and freeing up time so that professionals can focus on what really matters, like building relationships and offering trusted advice.
Broking firms that blend AI with real human insight is surely going to be a winning combination.
Outside of AI what do you see as being the biggest factor that will help sustain a successful UK broking market over the next five years?
I think it’s really a combination of factors.
First, regulation needs to remain proportionate to the size and complexity of each firm. That’s important to avoid placing unnecessary compliance burdens, especially on smaller firms that may not have the same resources as the larger ones.
Second, attracting new talent is a big priority. The broking market still relies heavily on relationships, soft skills, and deep market knowledge. To keep the sector evolving, we need to bring in younger and more diverse individuals who can bring fresh perspectives.
And finally, data. Even if a firm isn’t ready to adopt AI just yet, there’s still a lot of value in improving how client and market data is captured, cleaned, and analysed. Doing that well can really enhance decision-making and make operations more efficient.
Birmingham metal legends Black Sabbath played their last gig in the city this year; who is the insurance equivalent of late frontman Ozzy Osbourne and why?
It has to be the broker. They’ve been the backbone of this industry for decades, constantly adapting and evolving. Like Ozzy Osbourne, may he rest in peace, brokers bring the energy, passion, and resilience that keep the market alive and moving forward.
Broker Expo is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year; what were you doing when you were 20?
At Uni completing my first degree which was in Graphic Design, at which point a career in insurance was the last thing on my mind, does anyone really plan to end up in this industry? But once you’re in, you realise it’s dynamic, relationship-driven, and full of opportunities to grow and make an impact.
What are your expectations for the UK broker market next year and how are you planning to make sure your business has a positive 2026?
We expect 2026 to be fast-moving and competitive as all classes navigate their way through the challenges of a soft market.
We’ll keep investing in our multi-channel support, whether face-to-face, virtual, or digital, so brokers can access the products, expertise, and tools we can provide access to as and when they need it. By staying close to our brokers and product providers, we’ll continue to help the market grow, adapt, and thrive.
Blink Intermediary Solutions is exhibiting at the Broker Expo at the Birmingham NEC on the 9th October. It is free for brokers to attend, so sign up now by clicking here.
