We asked 16 industry experts who they thought had left the biggest mark on the health insurance and protection markets over the past decade. Voted number one:

Peter Le Beau
Managing director
Le Beau Visage

If there was one thing you could change about the industry what would that be?
“If I could change one thing it would be the image of our industry. If only people would trust us more (and we merit that trust) it would be so much easier to give people the cover they need.”

Biography:
Peter is one of the best-known consultants in the life and health insurance sector. He began his career at Commercial
Union (now Norwich Union), moved to British and European and latterly went to Swiss Re, where he was initially head of underwriting and later became head of UK marketing.
     He left in 2001 to set up an independent consultancy, Le Beau Visage, which focuses on differentiation in the protection sector. Since starting Le Beau Visage, he has regularly co-authored the Protection Review and the Redmayne Report on Reassurance. He runs a strategic discussion group called The-Net-Work and, in 2005, he set up the Income Protection (IP) Task Force with Clive Waller to promote greater awareness of the value of the product. The task force produced a White Paper on IP in 2006.
     He is a non-executive director of Red Arc and Pioneer Friendly Society. He is a passionate believer in the value of protection. He is interested in helping companies to develop innovative ideas in this important area and in helping consumers to get a better idea of the products that will help them to gain peace of mind. He regards this as a crusade. Peter is interested in all sports, reading, theatre and cinema and is a local magistrate. He is married with one grown-up daughter and lives in Sittingbourne, Kent.

covermagazine.co.uk October 2007

At the Cover Excellence Awards on 3rd October 2007, Peter was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to the Protection industry.

Frances Delhoy & Peter Le Beau

Peter Le Beau has worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years and is one of the best known speakers and writers in the business.

Although Peter’s career has been largely spent in reassurance, he has extensive experience in business to business marketing and in helping clients to think in original ways about their marketing approach.

Peter’s success in helping Swiss Re to develop its proposition in the UK has given him an enviable network of contacts throughout the marketplace. Peter believes that business should be fun without sacrificing professionalism and has a keen sense of humour which is very much in evidence in the advice he dispenses to clients.

Peter has worked or consulted in the US, South Africa, Asia and European life markets.

Peter is married to Judy and lives in Sittingbourne, Kent. He has one daughter, Joanne.

· 1969 Joined Commercial Union working in reassurance arm, British & European

· 1973 Became Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute

· 1976 Qualified as Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute

· 1977 Became Chairman of UK Benefactors Club and Fellowship Examiner for CII

· 1981 Left B&E to join Swiss Re as Head of Life Underwriting

· 1987 Promoted to Life Marketing Manager at Swiss Re

· 1995 Attended Harvard Business School for MBA module ‘Strategic Marketing
           Management’

· 1997 Appointed Head of Life Marketing, Swiss Re Life & Health

· 2000 Joined board of Permanent Assurance as non-executive director

· 2001 Left Swiss Re to set up Le Beau Visage. Joined board of Red Arc.
           Set up The-Net-Work (www.the-net-work.org)

· 2002 Co-authored the Redmayne Report on Reassurance with Nigel
           Bradshaw and Gordon Sills

· 2003 Wrote The Protection Review with co-author Andy Couchman
           Presented at the International Underwriting Congress in Singapore

· 2005 Co-authored Reinventing Income Protection with Clive Waller

· 2006 Formed Income Protection Task Force with Clive Waller and published
           Income Protection White Paper

· 2007 Presented at the International Underwriting Congress in Shanghai
           Co-founded Protection Review Seminar with Andy Couchman
           Joined the Board of Pioneer Friendly Society


Frances has spent most of her career in Insurance. She joined Swiss Re in 1984 as secretary to the senior management team in the Life Division and became John Coomber's PA in 1987 when he was promoted to be Head of the Life Division. She helped Peter set up Le Beau Visage when it was formed in February 2001 and is responsible for all the administration of the business.

Frances has over 20 years' experience of managing major conferences and is responsible for running The-Net-Work and The Protection Review Seminar and Launch Dinner.

Frances is married to Mark and has two children, Callum and Niamh.