Better Business / Member profile
‘Bristol is a fantastic city, full of energy, innovation and pride’
Howard Jones is the managing partner for client management (South) at Partners&. With nearly two decades of industry experience across leading firms including Heath Lambert, PIB, Erskine Murray, Willis, and Verlingue, Howard is recognised for his client-focused leadership and talent for coaching teams and developing future leaders.
His approach centres on the belief that prioritising client relationships and doing right by clients naturally drives sustainable business growth.
What’s the one thing that inspires you to get up in the morning?
My two children, Dylan and Max.
Howard Jones is managing partner for client management (South) at Partners& – photo: Partners&
Can you describe the career journey that has led you to where you are today?
Like a lot of us in the industry, I “fell into” insurance a couple of years after graduating from university when I was looking around for a career. It became clear to me early on in my journey how badly our industry markets itself to young people, given the extent of opportunities it can offer.
I worked my way up from an entry-level position as a Junior Account Handler at a national firm, to taking a client-facing executive role in London at one of the global ‘big three’ brokers, before subsequently moving into leadership.
I think this is testament to the upward mobility and opportunity our industry offers for hard-working individuals with strong relationship skills.
During my time, it was clear to me that in order to stay motivated and lead people properly, it was important I worked for a company that shared a people- and client-first ethos, which is how I found my way to Partners& as a managing partner.
Tell us about one (or more) of the people who inspired you along the way?
My wife has played a critical role in making me constantly question the ‘why’ of what I am doing. Very few of the career decisions I have taken have been driven by the financials; believing in the role and the company I work for is far more important. This is thanks to her constantly reinforcing the view that there are far more important things to get out of bed for than a pay cheque.
Career-wise, I have been lucky enough to work under some great leaders (and a couple of not-so-great ones), all of whom I have learned from, both good and bad. I don’t say this because I work for them now, but the leadership team at Partners&., particularly Phil Barton (Group CEO) and Ewan Macdonald (Trading CEO), inspire me with their passion for clients, our people, and their infectious drive.
Are there any memorable challenges you have faced along the way?
Too many to mention. I think managing a large region during Covid was the most significant. It was an unbelievably difficult time for both the staff that reported into me and our clients. It showed me that if you put the physical and mental wellbeing of your people above all else, you can naturally drive incredible levels of performance from your team, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Covid was not the insurance industry’s finest hour, with issues around business interruption coverage and service standards falling off a cliff, but I remain incredibly proud of how my team at the time coped with the personal and professional challenges we were facing by working together.
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What is the most important thing for you to focus on in business?
For me, it’s really simple. If you focus on your people and create a culture that is genuinely centred around loving your client, the financials take care of themselves. In my experience, far too much time is spent in the insurance broking industry focusing on shareholder return and satisfying the next monthly numbers call. Focus on your people and your clients, and performance takes care of itself.
If you had one piece of advice to offer people aspiring to your role, what would it be?
Difficult to pick one, but I think it would be to believe in yourself just the right amount. There are countless people I have worked with who needed far too much persuading to step up into their next role because they didn’t believe in themselves enough — and just as many (myself included earlier in my career) who thought they were the finished article, when the reality is you never are and should never stop learning.
That, and the old cliché that hard work beats talent every day of the week.
If you could change one thing about your sector, or Bristol as a whole, what would it be?
In terms of the sector, I would change the quality of insurance broking advice, which is the very reason Partners& was formed. Brokers simply do not spend enough time with their clients asking the right questions about their business. As a result, there is a ludicrously high number of claims not covered sufficiently — or at all. If we were a car manufacturer and two out of every five cars that rolled off the production line didn’t work properly, I don’t know many industries where that would be accepted. Partners& are leading from the front and challenging the industry to change this.
What are your aspirations for the future (personally and for Bristol)?
I want to continue to attract great people and clients to Partners& and ensure we continue to provide best-in-class service and advice to our clients — particularly in Bristol, where we’ve invested significantly and will continue to do so. Personal career progression looks after itself if you do the right things day to day.
If you could pick one thing to change about Bristol, what would it be?
Rather than change, I’d ask: what can we do better? Bristol is a fantastic city, full of energy, innovation and pride.
I’d love to see us shout about all the things that make this city great on a national scale. At times, it feels like Bristol is a best-kept secret. That doesn’t need to be the case. When you think about our history, educational institutions, creativity, culinary prowess, independent shops and focus on sustainability, we punch above our weight in many areas.
Partners& are based at the new offices at the Crescent in Temple Back – photo: Milan Perera
What does a Better Bristol mean to you?
One of the things I really respect about Bristol is its commercial community. In my experience, businesses here support each other, and that’s great to see. The notion of partnership is core to what we do at Partners&. When we work together to build understanding, we are better positioned to help clients build resilience. A Better Bristol means celebrating that collaboration and encouraging it to flourish.
What action could you as an individual take? What action could your company take?
Since launching in Bristol in October, we made a commitment to be part of the business community — fully engaged, sharing perspectives, working in partnership with other businesses and supporting where we can add value. We’re keen to meet people and businesses through platforms such as B24/7 and give back to a community that has been so good to us over the years.
What do you want to see from the Bristol business community in the next five years?
The recently announced Budget will present challenges for many of us. But I believe we can weather the storm by coming together, supporting our clients and building our businesses. We have a strong network of ecosystem partners, many based in Bristol, who we will engage even more closely with. It’s also an opportunity to forge new partnerships and think creatively about how we plan, build and progress in the years ahead.
“In terms of the sector, I would change the quality of insurance broking advice, which is the very reason Partners& was formed,” said Howard Jones at Partners& – photo: Partners&
Main photo: Partners&
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