When Nicky Harttree joined Dominion underwriting as a 22-year-old trainee assistant underwriter in 1992, she wasn’t convinced she would last the week. Having come from a younger, more social environment at RSA in Hertfordshire, her first experience of working in the London insurance market was a shock. “I remember going home in tears after my first day,” she laughs. “It felt completely different to anything I’d experienced before. It was very traditional, very formal and quite intimidating for a young woman starting out in underwriting.”
Thankfully, Nicky decided to stick with it, and more than three decades later she has built a successful career with the company that would eventually become ERS. One of the first women in the underwriting team, Nicky spent her early years learning the trade and developing her expertise in fleet underwriting. Along the way she benefited from the support of colleagues who recognised her potential. “People like Chris Wilson and Steve Nethercoat have been hugely supportive during my career. They gave me opportunities, backed me and helped me develop. Looking back, those relationships made a real difference.”
A pivotal moment came when Nicky was 29 and preparing to return to work after having her first child. “At the time, businesses weren’t sure how to handle flexible working arrangements. There was a suggestion that I move away from fleet underwriting, but I felt strongly that I had spent years building my experience and reputation in the market. I could see a career developing and didn’t want to step away from that.” Nicky returned to her underwriting role on a part-time basis, balancing family life with a growing career. “It wasn’t always easy, but I’m proud that I stayed with it. I kept learning, kept developing and continued building my experience.”
Over the next three decades, Nicky witnessed huge changes across the business and the wider insurance industry. “The company today is almost unrecognisable from the one I joined. The technology, the data, the people and the culture have all evolved enormously.” She points to the transformation that followed the creation of ERS in 2012 and the subsequent ownership of Aquiline as a defining period. “Those early years were tough. The business was stripped back and there were some difficult decisions. It was painful at times, but those changes laid the foundations for where we are today.” The investment in technology, pricing and analytics has been particularly significant. “When I started, we didn’t have the actuarial and pricing capabilities that exist today. We were calculating rate increases in a very simplistic way. Now we have highly skilled actuarial and pricing teams supporting underwriting decisions, alongside fantastic technology that gives us much better insight and understanding of risk.”
Today, as Motor Fleet Underwriting Product Manager, Nicky is proud to be part of what she believes is one of the strongest specialist motor insurers in the market. “What gives me the most pride is seeing how far we’ve come. We have incredibly experienced underwriters, skilled technical teams and strong leadership. We’ve built a profitable, successful business that continues to invest in its future.” As ERS celebrates its 80th anniversary, Nicky’s advice to the next generation remains simple. “Always keep learning. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes because everybody makes them. The important thing is to learn from them, pick yourself up and keep moving forward. If you do that, you’ll keep developing throughout your career.”
After 34 years with the business, it’s a philosophy that has served her, and ERS, remarkably well.
