Helen Bush Named Director at The Insurance Octopus

Leading commercial insurance broker, The Insurance Octopus, has appointed Helen Bush as Director, the most senior role within the company.

Helen has held the position of Head of Finance and Support Services for 11 years, and has been instrumental in the business’s success over the years.

Helen has built an extensive career through working with multiple departments within The Insurance Octopus, where she has had an influence over all aspects of the business. Prior to working at The Insurance Octopus, Helen worked as a graduate at Mediavest Manchester and then progressed into a media executive role, where she oversaw the operations of several accounts in the agency.

The Insurance Octopus is an established independent commercial insurance broker, providing tailored insurance policies to around 35,000 small businesses. With an established panel of UK insurers, The Insurance Octopus is able to source the best deals in the market and offer a personalised service to their customers.

She said: “I’m really honoured to be leading The Insurance Octopus, I’ve been with the company for more than a decade and in that time we’ve never stood still.

I always had a drive to improve areas of the business, creating solutions and implementing strategies to make things simpler and faster for our customers and colleagues. To deliver that approach across the whole business now is exciting, and being able to take our people on that journey with me, and then seeing the results, is very rewarding.

“My core focus as Director is to take us on to that next level. We’re implementing new technology to make things even faster and smoother for our customers. We’re also growing our presence in the cyber market, which is an increasingly important market for small businesses.”

 Founded in 2008, The Insurance Octopus now employs 90 people and achieved a Gross Written Premium (GWP) of £19m in the financial year ending April 2021. The insurance broker was also recognised for its exceptional customer service with the Feefo’s Platinum Trusted Service award, and earlier this year was announced as a finalist at the British Insurance Awards.

Helen said: “In my early stages of my career at The Insurance Octopus, I could see that the business had potential. I’ve spent the last 13 years helping to grow The Insurance Octopus from a start-up, to now an established commercial insurance broker. We have set ourselves apart from other brokers, by taking the complexity out of insurance and making it simple and straightforward to our customers. The journey of the Insurance Octopus has been exceptional, and I look forward to supporting the entire team in the future.”

The Insurance Octopus was acquired by Verastar Group, which provides a range of services to small businesses, in 2016.

Helen adds: “Being part of the Verastar group unlocks a lot of growth potential for us. We are in a position to deliver a unique offering to Verastar customers, and strengthen the Verastar group offering as a multi-service provider.”

Commenting on Helen’s appointment, Lee Hull, CEO of Verastar said: “Helen is an outstanding leader and the work she has done to grow The Insurance Octopus is phenomenal. Helen already has exciting plans in place to strengthen and shape The Insurance Octopus for the future. She is well placed to take leadership and reach into new markets within the insurance industry.”