Business Manager & Executive Assistant

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

KGM Underwriting Services is the UK’s leading specialist Motor Insurance MGA. Operating across a broad spectrum of products, from classic car insurance to commercial fleet cover, KGM has achieved strong growth in recent years through its focus on fast, friendly and flexible service combined with deep underwriting expertise. We are proud to have won the MGA of the Year Gold Award in 2024, reflecting the strength of our customer and broker propositions. KGM is part of DUAL UK, within the Howden Group.

KGM is seeking a highly organized, driven and proactive Business Coordinator & Executive Assistant to support the KGM Managing Director. This is a key role within the business, reporting directly to the MD and working closely with senior stakeholders both within the KGM and across the wider Group.

This is not a traditional EA role: it offers a unique blend of executive support, business coordination, and governance responsibilities, making it ideal for someone who is highly detail-oriented, thrives in a fast-paced, changing and growth-oriented environment, and who enjoys working with senior stakeholders at Board / C-Level.

In this role, you will be the glue that keeps the leadership team and business governance running efficiently. You will coordinate meetings, prepare materials, ensure follow-ups, and manage key stakeholder relationships. You will help shape, drive and support wider business governance, internal communications, and cross-functional collaboration across KGM and the wider Personal Lines division.

This role is perfect for someone wanting to move beyond a typical Executive Assistant role into a broader business operations and coordination position.

This is an excellent opportunity to join an exciting, growing business with exposure to a broad range of responsibilities and future prospects.

Responsibilities:

• Executive Support & Leadership Coordination
• Provide high-level administrative and coordination support to the MD of Personal Lines.
• Manage the Head of Personal Lines’ diary and inbox, prioritizing key meetings and ensuring effective time management.
• Prepare briefing notes, meeting materials, and presentations for leadership and executive meetings.
• Act as a gatekeeper and point of contact for senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Business Coordination & Governance
• Ensure governance processes run smoothly, including maintaining action logs, reporting structures, and performance tracking.
• Support the preparation of key business reports, board packs, and executive updates.
• Assist with risk, compliance, and operational governance matters in collaboration with business leaders.
• Organize and manage leadership team meetings, setting agendas, recording actions, and tracking follow-ups.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Group Interfaces
• Serve as a key liaison between the KGM / Personal Lines leaderships team and other Group divisions, coordinating communications and interactions ensuring alignment with the broader insurance group functions, governance and processes.
• Build strong working relationships across the organisation to facilitate smoother collaboration and problem-solving.
• Internal Communications & Engagement
• Support internal communication efforts, including leadership updates, town halls, and team engagement initiatives.
• Draft key messages, reports, and presentations for internal and external audiences.
• Assist in organizing team offsites, leadership away days, and other engagement activities.
• Business Projects & Operational Support
• Support the delivery of key operational and transformation projects by managing logistics, tracking progress, and ensuring alignment.
• Work on ad-hoc problem-solving initiatives, helping to drive efficiency and remove blockers.
• Proactively identify ways to improve processes, enhance organisation.

Candidate Requirements:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple priorities and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Proactive, adaptable and solutions-driven, always one step ahead and able to anticipate needs before they arise.
• Excellent communication skills, confident in engaging with senior stakeholders and writing clear, professional messaging.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, able to build relationships and work collaboratively across different teams. Experience working with Board and C-Level stakeholders.
• Tech-savvy and process-focused, comfortable using tools like PowerPoint, Excel to produce and manage high-quality documentation.
• Experience as a Business Coordinator, Executive Assistant or similar role is desirable, but the successful candidate will need to evidence experience and capability in all of the skills required for the role.
• Experience within financial services, insurance, or a regulated industry.
• Positive, warm, energetic, engaging and a self-starter.

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.