Ep174 James Drinkwater, Amwins: Time and Money

Today’s guest is James Drinkwater, the President of Amwins. James
is one of the most successful broking entrepreneurs of his
generation. But he is also someone who doesn’t give a lot of
interviews and so I have been working to get him on the show for
quite some time. I am really glad I finally did because this is a
really lively and fast-paced interview with someone right at the
top of our industry and at a fascinating time in the marketplace.
A massive wholesale broking business like Amwins gets to see
where all the stress points are in the market far sooner than
anyone else and here we identify these and point to the most
likely solutions. But it’s in our broader conversation that I
think we learn the most about this leading wholesaler and its
global strategy. Transforming from being the largest US
wholesaler to being a dominant global player will require a clear
strategy and a lot of time. And that’s why it’s refreshing to
hear James talk about this because unlike many in our business,
he certainly gives the impression that he has the patience to
play the long game and refuses to compromise the group’s
wholesale identity and culture. Also as a Londoner it’s
heartening to hear that the group’s London operations are set to
play a key role in its global expansion. James is always frank
and a straight-talker and our half-hour chat rattles by in no
time. LINKS We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo:
https://www.advantagego.com/