Podcast

John Muir reflects on his journey in the London Market

‘Legend’ is an over-used word, but applicable in the case of John Muir.

John’s 49-year career in the London Market, most of which he spent at Willis Towers Watson was dotted with major achievements on operational transformation. When he retired John was the first ever broker to be ‘clapped out’ of Lloyd’s – testament to the high regard in which he is held in the London Market.

In this wide-ranging interview Jeremy Burgess and Ben Bolton, long-time friends and associates, talk with John about his early career as a placing broker, his move into market operations at WTW and his thoughts on insurance as a career choice for young people.

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John retells the formative market events of his early days in the market, including Reconstruction & Renewal and how he saw the market evolving from chaos and near-bankruptcy into a mature, professional market that now provides a vital source of revenue and jobs to the UK economy and valued specialist risk services to the global commercial sector.

At a personal level John reflects on the deep enjoyment he has derived from working in insurance ‘never a boring day’ and shares his thoughts on what the younger generation should do to be successful these days.

John is amusing and insightful about the issues that he has dealt with in his career and makes the point that while the market always evolves much also stays the same. In the end John’s message is a positive and optimistic one that we can all take to heart.