Vizion directors

New venture Vizion looking to attract brokers disillusioned with consolidation

Posted on Posted in News & Views
Vizion founders Chris Blackham and John Sims have told Post they are looking to bring brokers disillusioned with larger consolidated firms on board.

Vizion, a new venture set up by Bluefin co-founder Blackham and former Chubb high net worth CEO Sims, operates as a part ownership model in which brokers are encouraged to operate independently.

"The market has been changing quite dramatically over the years with so much consolidation," Sims said.

"It's led to many disaffected individuals within the broker community who harbour the desire to be entrepreneurial and do their own thing. But in this regulated world that we live in, and with the costs involved, it's difficult to do that."

Incoming Vizion brokers who are subject to restrictive covenants are given a loan for their first year of operation, allowing them an income while contractual agreements prevent them from working with former clients.

"Think of it like a parachute payment," added Sims. "We are not a network. It's a big family."

Chairman Blackham told Post: "I used to be the CEO of Bluefin. Those organisations are so large. When my business went in, we were a big family, but then we got swallowed up, and swallowed up.

"It became so impersonal, and it stifles creativity. People end up going to work each day because of their salaries, until they have a rationalisation.

"There are so many barriers. The entrepreneurs of yesterday don't have the means to do what they did today. So people are left sitting in these big organisations, almost imprisoned by them.

"We're looking for the real entrepreneurs, the quality guys that we can enable and partner with."

Former rugby international Jeremy Guscott, Vizion development director, told Post: "When we talk to people, you can see they have a lightbulb moment. It's quite nice for some people to be part of the corporate machine, but this model will take, and is for, special people."

Though Vizion will have an initial focus on high net worth, Sims said the group would be looking to branch out into other areas of general insurance.