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According to her colleagues, Linda is a woman on a mission
- an accurate description when you consider that she is leading
the way in a business that has recently been named as Wales’
largest independent insurance broker.
Linda always wanted to be a leader, a quality she says she
inherited from her father, and originally chose to influence
other people by joining the Metropolitan Police.
After working as a civilian with the Met, heading up a team
of 25 delivering fire-arm statistics to the Home Office, Linda
returned to Wales in search of a new leadership challenge.
Now Linda is not only the head of human resources at Protectagroup,
she is also the deputy managing director.
To date, she has helped the business collect awards including
the Welsh Development of the Year Award and ELWa Modern Apprenticeship
Award, and is continuing to make sure that people remain the
‘heart-beat’ of the company.
“It might sound strange, but although I’ve always
recognised leadership qualities in myself, it wasn’t
until the Leading Wales Awards that I realised I was a fully-fledged
leader,” said Linda.
“Having someone nominate me for an award for excellence
in leadership really brought it all home and I was thrilled.
It was great the way everyone got behind me and it made me
think about the issue of leadership in more detail.
“I’ve always thrived on challenges and I’ve
ploughed a lot of energy into ensuring that people are Protectagroup’s
number one priority, both in the shape of customers and staff.”
In just 18 months in both her roles, the company has not only
been named as Wales’ largest independent insurance broker,
but it has also completed a successful management buy-in,
which saw Linda gain a 10 per cent equity in the business,
acquired Broker Gateway & Vanguard Insurance and has several
new acquisitions on the horizon.
But Linda insists she isn’t an ‘ivory tower’
leader: “Locking yourself away from your staff isn’t
the way to lead. You must be accessible and communicate with
them at all times.
“I like to think I have a ‘touchy-feely’
approach to leadership, in that I always try to encourage
others, listen to their ideas, give plenty of feedback and,
most of all, to say thank you as often as possible. It’s
a simple thing, but it makes an enormous difference.
“My background in human resources has helped me to put
people right at the centre of everything I do as a leader.
They can make or break plans, but you must have them on board
if you want to succeed.”
Tracey Bryant is a training officer at Protectagroup. She
has worked with Linda for over five years: “Linda’s
an amazing lady. She’s honest, passionate and committed.
She draws on her personal experiences and turns everything
into a positive. She also never makes any false promises and
always delivers, which, in turn, spurs you to deliver for
her, too.”
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