Article ID: b49ed89ebc20dcd717581b24763c8415b85d8d6ab5c2a33666dba898fe0956c6
Source ID: secondary:insurancetimes.co.uk
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The ceremony provides a ‘visible platform to demonstrate what good looks like and share actionable insight on how this area of UKGI is evolving for the better’, says Insurance Times content director The UK general insurance (UKGI) claims community came together last week (12 June 2026) for a fabulous afternoon to celebrate outstanding achievements at the 2026 Claims Excellence Awards, hosted by Insurance Times. This year, a number of changes were made to the ceremony as the event ventured from its usual cover of night, swapping black ties and ball gowns for cocktail attire and a garden party on a sunny Friday afternoon at The Brewery on London’s Chiswell Street. Despite a twist to its annual soirée, the ceremony continued to honour individuals and teams in the sector that are raising standards in customer outcomes, fraud prevention and innovation across the claims lifecycle. The actor, podcaster and comedian Aurie Styla hosted the event, which included a drinks reception, three course meal and an opening address from Insurance Times content director Katie Scott. Addressing delegates, Scott commended the resilience and innovation underpinning successful customer outcomes. She said: “Claims are undoubtedly the most visible and subjective component of the insurance value chain and it is all too easy to get suckered into stories where things have gone wrong. “However, this afternoon is all about when things go right – as they so often do thanks to the hard work, customer advocacy and innovation demonstrated by each and every one of you in this room today.” Standout honours Among the afternoon’s highest honours, Napo Pet Insurance’s Meltem Yazar, customer champion lead, was awarded Claims Champion of the Year 2026 for the uniqueness in her approach to supporting both customers and her business. Judges said that Yazar “embodies what it means to be a claims champion” as she “not only unearthed an important friction point in potential claim journeys, but she designed and implemented a process to rectify misunderstandings and miscommunications”. And, Flock’s Ben Allen, senior customer success manager, received the coveted Rising Star in Claims or Fraud award this year for his drive in the creation of the firm’s safety review programme and for serving as a “vital and imaginative cog within the organisation”, according to judges. Notably some firms received double the recognition as Napo Pet insurance took home two sought-after awards for Claims Achievement and Claims Team of the Year – MGA, while DWF Law were honoured with ESG Initiative of the Year and Counter Fraud Initiative of the Year. FM walked away with the Insurer of the Year title – sponsored by Bamboo Connect – after being recognised for the firm’s “ability to quickly deal with complex claims” and felt that “their policy workshops, education initiatives and attention to both pre- and post-loss support helped them offer a uniquely valuable customer service.” The full list of winners can be seen below: Claims Achievement Award - Napo Pet Insurance Insurer of the Year - FM Claims Product of the Year - Highly commended: Flock - Winner: HighFive Claims Service of the Year – Broker/Insurer/MGA - Brown and Brown Claims UK Claims Technology of the Year - Highly commended: DWF Law - Winner: Photocert ESG Initiative of the Year - DWF Law Claims Service of the Year – Service Provider - Highly commended: Photocert - Winner: Innovation Group Claims Partner of the Year - Highly commended: Gallagher Bassett - Winner: Five Sigma Fraud Investigation of the Year - QBE Claims Team of the Year – MGA - Napo Pet Insurance Claims Mitigation Strategy of the Year - Highly commended: Cowbell - Winner: Waggel Claims Team of the Year - DAC Beachcroft – Corporate Insurance and Risk Claims Team of the Year – Insurer - Highly commended: Markel - Winner: Zurich Insurance – Motor Claims Team Rising Star in Claims or Fraud - Ben Allen, senior customer success manager at Flock Counter Fraud Initiative of the Year - DWF Law Excellence in Customer Care - C&C Insurance Brokers Excellence in Customer Care – Service Provider - Highly commended: National Windscreens - Winner: Countrywide Hearing Claims Training Excellence of the Year - Kennedys Law MGA of the Year - Purbeck Insurance Services Claims Champion of the Year - Meltem Yazar, customer champion lead at Napo Pet Insurance Insurance Times extends its congratulations to all winners and finalists at this year’s Claims Excellence Awards with a big thank you to the event sponsors for their support in recognising excellence across the UKGI claims market. She joined the title after completing a Master's degree in Journalism in 2025, having previously graduated with a degree in English Literature.View full Profile No comments yet
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