As Managing Director at Bupa Global, what are your main responsibilities?

My role involves steering the company towards success for our customers and our people. I develop and implement our strategy, ensuring we have the right resources and leadership to achieve our goals. Governance and compliance are crucial in health insurance, so ensuring our operations meet all regulatory requirements and adhere to Bupa’s high standards is critical. 

Attracting and nurturing top talent is also essential for the role. I focus on fostering a strong, capable workforce while ensuring everyone understands our direction and their role in our journey. I take a hands-on approach to this – I really enjoy walking around the office, chatting with everyone and listening to their feedback and suggestions. This helps me understand different perspectives and, I hope, creates a real sense of community. It’s the best way to gain valuable insights from our teams on ways we can continuously improve for our customers.

Having worked in the international medical insurance industry for over 30 years, what has been your biggest accomplishment to date?

Looking back on my 30-year journey in the industry, I’d say my biggest accomplishment is the continuous learning and growth I’ve experienced. Even after all these years, I still feel passionate and motivated by the amazing people I work with and the meaningful impact we have on our customers’ lives. Working in healthcare is truly a privilege. It gives us the unique chance to make a real difference, and there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that our support and care can have such a positive influence on someone’s wellbeing and quality of life.

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work all around the world, either building new medical insurance businesses from scratch or turning around the performance of existing ones. These experiences have been enriching, allowing me to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. I’ve learned so much from these talented people, and their insights have been invaluable in shaping my approach and understanding of the industry.

Bupa stands out as a special place in my career. As a truly international healthcare company, Bupa’s experience spans both healthcare funding and provision. Its values and structure empower us to develop businesses with a long-term perspective. Unlike many companies, Bupa doesn’t have to focus on shareholder dividends. Instead, we reinvest surplus back into the business, which is a unique and inspiring approach that fosters sustainable growth and innovation.

You first joined Bupa in 1993. How has the company evolved over the years to meet changing industry demands?

Over the past 30 years, Bupa has undergone significant changes and evolution to keep in tune with the times. Our mission has expanded to include sustainability, with emphasis on ‘making a better world’. This shift highlights the important connection between people’s health and the health of our planet. Today, Bupa’s capabilities in healthcare provision and insurance are stronger than ever, with a focus on leveraging these strengths to make a meaningful difference for our customers and expand our Blua digital platform. Customer focus has always been a priority, but now we place even greater emphasis on clinical outcomes alongside customer satisfaction.

How does Bupa strike the balance between providing customers with healthcare that’s convenient and accessible, but also personalised?

Customers increasingly seek healthcare that is both convenient and accessible, yet they also expect it to be personalised to their individual needs. Striking this balance presents its own challenges, particularly as many local healthcare services lack the global capabilities required to give us a comprehensive picture of our customers’ health. To address this, a data-driven approach to healthcare is essential. By leveraging data, we can create more seamless, easy-to-access and personalised healthcare journeys, enabling customers to be more engaged in their own health management.

To grow and build a sustainable future alongside our intermediary partners, we’re investing over £55 million over the next five years to transform our business. This investment allows us to respond to our customers’ evolving needs and the dynamic nature of global healthcare. We are focusing on creating more sustainable healthcare propositions, with an emphasis on preventative care and inclusive healthcare benefits. 

By leveraging data, we can create more seamless, easy-to-access and personalised healthcare journeys, enabling customers to be more engaged in their own health management

Has the increasing demand for holistic wellbeing influenced Bupa’s healthcare offering at all?

Absolutely. Recognising the importance of a comprehensive approach to health, Bupa Global policies now address physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. A prime example is Private Client by Bupa, a premium service that goes beyond traditional health insurance. It includes a Lifecare Concierge Manager who offers personalised support, helping clients manage their health proactively. 

What are some of the key drivers behind policy utilisation?

The ways people use their health insurance policies has changed massively over the past few years. Since 2021, our claims have increased significantly, with a 67% rise in total claims and a 39% increase in claims per customer. This surge is driven by several factors: the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, growing health awareness, advances in medical screening and the rise of digital technology.

As people have become more health-conscious, they’re proactively managing their health, leading to more claims. Improved screening technologies have resulted in more diagnoses, particularly cancer claims, which have risen by 57% since 2021. Digital platforms have made healthcare more accessible, contributing to higher policy utilisation, especially for mental health services.

For insurers, these trends mean developing cost management strategies, creating resilient pricing models, and educating customers about policy coverage and preventative care. This ensures that customers understand their benefits and can make informed decisions about their health.

Last year Bupa launched its 2024 Healthy Cities challenge. How important is it to raise awareness of the link between human health and environmental health?

Raising awareness of the link between human health and environmental health is incredibly important. The environment impacts our health in ways that are deeply intertwined with our daily lives, often in ways we don’t even recognise. A healthy environment is essential for healthy people.

Our global Healthy Cities challenge highlights this connection by encouraging simple actions, like walking 6,000 steps a day, to improve both personal health and community wellbeing. So far we’ve unlocked over £3 million to support nature regeneration efforts in deprived urban areas. This challenge is a powerful initiative that not only raises awareness but also drives action towards a healthier world.

Looking ahead, are there any challenges you foresee for the medical insurance industry? How will Bupa tackle them?

Growing healthcare costs are also one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. Overall medical inflation is at double digits, with significant variations around the world. Costs for speciality drugs and advances in medical technology have skyrocketed, and ageing populations continue to add pressure to already stretched healthcare systems. Bupa in the UK is already working with specialist teams and have established pathways in managing chronic conditions, which drive claims costs, and we’re making use of our global footprint to learn lessons from around the world.

Bupa Global’s 2028 strategy is our response to those challenges and how we plan to future-proof our business for the next five years. I strongly believe this is a moment to innovate, and build a more flexible, progressive, and responsive business that puts customer care and support at the heart of everything we do.