Leading with People

Falling into the Right Career

Like many in the employee benefits world, Dave didn’t plan his path into the industry.
A chance conversation on a cricket pitch led him to a role at Swiss Life — and from there, a 30-year career helping businesses protect and support their people.

“I was working as an independent financial adviser when someone I played cricket with mentioned an opening at Swiss Life,” he recalls. “I joined as a sales consultant calling on brokers and consultants. Seven years later, I was completely hooked.”

That experience laid the foundation for a career defined by growth and leadership. At Portus, Dave helped build a culture rooted in collaboration and clarity — qualities that later guided the firm’s successful sale to Aon and smooth integration that followed.

Leading Through Change

Having led teams through acquisitions, integrations and cultural shifts, Dave’s biggest lessons in leadership come down to communication and trust.

“When you go through a sale, it’s vital to get people involved early. Be transparent, take your time, and communicate clearly. If you rush, you lose people — especially if the tech transition goes wrong.”

For Dave, leadership isn’t about titles — it’s about enabling others.
He believes great leaders create environments where people want to do their best work.

“Listen to your people,” he says. “You can’t do everything everyone wants, but taking feedback on board — and acting on it — builds trust. I’ve always believed in giving people the wings to fly.”

Championing Collaboration and Standards Across the Industry

Alongside his corporate roles, Dave plays a leading part in shaping the future of the employee benefits industry through his work as Chairperson of AMII.

Under his leadership, the association continues to promote professional excellence, ethical practice and collaboration among intermediaries, insurers and partners across the UK.

“It’s a relationship business,” Dave says. “Whether you’re dealing with clients, colleagues or partners, trust is everything. That hasn’t changed in 30 years — and it never will.”

This commitment to people and professionalism extends to his mentorship of new industry entrants and his long-standing advocacy for education, development and shared learning.

Technology, Trust and the Human Touch

Dave is clear-eyed about the role of technology.
It’s already transformed how brokers and consultancies operate — but adoption has often been fragmented or misunderstood.

“AI isn’t new,” he says. “Spam filters, GPS, predictive text — that’s all AI. The difference now is that we’re talking about it, naming it. But the goal is still the same: to make life simpler.”

That focus on useful AI — not just impressive technology — is what drew him to Cluda.

“There’s a huge opportunity to simplify things. Comparing policies, managing data, reducing admin — these are real challenges. Cluda’s tools do that, and more importantly, they give people time back to do what they love: talk to clients.”

For Dave, technology and leadership share the same goal: empowering people to focus on what matters most.

Advice for the Next Generation

Asked what he would tell those entering the industry today, Dave doesn’t hesitate:

“Network, network, network. Get out there, meet people, learn from them. Don’t hide behind technology — but embrace it.”

As for the future, he’s optimistic. Preventative healthcare, connected data, and AI-powered insights are all reshaping how companies look after their people.

“Technology will tell us what’s coming, not just what’s happened,” he says.
“It’s all about prevention, wellbeing, and making people’s lives better — and that’s what excites me most.”