II Leadership Summit 2024 - Meet the Speakers - Mark Belcher, Zurich Integrated Benefits

The II Leadership Summit 2024 is a unique event, now in its fourth year, covering a debate on leadership in international financial services, while also throwing a spotlight on such issues as regulation, AI, the future of the industry as we know it, sustainability and other important topics of the day.

The II Leadership Summit 2024 will be filmed in our TV studios on October 10, 2024 and is set to be premiered on October 17, 2024 on www.investment-international.com

In this first in a our short 'Meet the Speakers' series we take a look at Mark Belcher, pictured above, International Corporate Distribution Manager, Zurich Integrated Benefits.

Mark Belcher

International Corporate Distribution Manager, Zurich Integrated Benefits

Based in the UK, Mark joined Zurich in 1998, over which time he has accumulated extensive experience across a multitude of roles - including nine years in UK Corporate Pensions. Since May 2017, Mark has served as an International Corporate Distribution Manager, working with a diverse range of customers, from large multinational companies to small non-profit organisations, and global distributors and partners. Mark is skilled at understanding core customer needs and identifying benefit solutions that achieve positive outcomes for both employers and employees.

As an active member of the International Employee Benefits Association (IEBA) UK Committee, Mark is passionate about driving education on the importance, and future landscape, of employee benefits.

II: How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

MB: My leadership philosophy is rooted in Zurich Integrated Benefits' cultural values of customer focus, entrepreneurial mindset, ownership, and collaboration These are integral to the way we operate, and I am dedicated to leading by example, ensuring that these values are embodied in every decision and action. By prioritising customer needs, fostering innovation, taking accountability, and encouraging teamwork, we create a culture of excellence and trust that benefits both our employees and customers.

II: Tell us about your journey into top level management?

MB: My journey into leadership has been shaped by 26 years of working at Zurich, a global insurer renowned for its vast diversity of business areas. This extensive tenure has afforded me the opportunity to engage with a multitude of teams, markets, and solutions across the group, providing me with a unique perspective and rich experience.

II: What projects do you have lined up in your role as International Corporate Distribution Manager at Zurich Integrated Benefits this year and into 2025?

MB: My focus this year and into 2025 is not on traditional projects but on deeply understanding the needs of our customers, their employees, and our markets. This customer-centric approach allows us to drive the necessary changes both in the market, and internally in our business through innovation, and to lead as a relevant and impactful provider in an ever-changing landscape, where expectations of employee benefits are rapidly evolving.

II: Why is strong leadership important to the growth of a company?

MB: Zurich’s unwavering focus on planet, people, customers, and community is deeply embedded in everything we do. This focus is the foundation of creating a brighter future and effective leadership ensures this is understood and supported by the entire organisation. It’s this leadership that also helps us remain aligned to our Integrated Benefits’ strategy of expanding beyond traditional insurance, meeting the evolving needs of the modern workforce, and transforming employee benefits into personalised experiences that employees truly value.

The full II Leadership Summit 2024 panel is:

•    David Kneeshaw, CEO, IFGL.

•    Richard Burden, head of international sales, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management,

•    Stephen Atkinson, Global Head of Sales, Utmost Group

•    Ariel Amigo, Chief Marketing & Distribution Officer at Investors Trust

•   Mark Belcher, International Corporate Distribution Manager, Zurich Integrated Benefits