5 Questions With Abril Ambrosoni, Insurance Broker – Sovereign Insurance Services – Gibraltar

Abril joined Sovereign Insurance Services in 2021, bringing two years of prior experience in the insurance industry. Since then, she has specialised in Yacht Insurance and Commercial Properties. Originally from Argentina and committed to enhancing her expertise, Abril is now pursuing her CII Diploma to further expand her knowledge and continue providing the best possible advice and service to her clients.

Can you tell us about your background and how you became an insurance broker?

Not having thought of insurance as a career previously, I landed on a travel insurance company in 2021 and fell in love with it.

Since then, I moved to SIS in 2022, where everything got even better and more interesting as I was able to expose myself to other types of insurance. Some say ‘Insurance is boring’ but I personally find it deeply interesting – you can tailor policies for each client, which allows you to play around with different conditions and learn new things!

Credibility in this industry is very important, therefore completing the Cert. CII was a must for me, since the start! I put myself in the shoes of our clients, and I would feel a lot more confident in my insurance broker if they had qualifications that backed their knowledge. It also helps me to understand the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of certain aspects of the job, which in turn allow me to negotiate with underwriters and find a solution to a potential problem.

What are your areas of specialism?

I specialise in three areas, which are:

• Marine: we can offer cover for privately used yachts, as well as chartering vessels. Our appetite would be vessels valued between £300,000 and £50,000,000. We have a broad network of wholesale brokers and insurers, which allows us to cater for a variety of clients.
• Commercial properties: this can range from management companies, detached houses, portfolios of flats, offices, restaurants, clinics, etc. This cover is key to protect not only the structural integrity that can be affected by flood or fire, but also to protect your liability as a landlord.
• Travel: we can cater for individuals up to 79 years old, as well as corporate groups. On a corporate policy we can also add family of the employee, which is usually a strong selling point.

How do you build and maintain strong relationships with your clients?

Acting on our clients’ behalf can be challenging, therefore maintaining a close relationship with them in essential if we want to perform our role correctly.

Quarterly check-ins, regular coffee invites, and availability are key to building and maintaining a relationship worth having.

What strategies do you use to ensure your clients understand their insurance options?

Insurance lingo can be difficult to understand if you are not used to it – believe me, I’ve been there!

The best way to explain and make sure the client and I are in the same page, is translating it to ‘plain English’.  I personally like to use different claim scenarios to explain the necessity of certain cover – that way, clients can understand cause and effect and how much a silly claim can affect you financially.

A phrase I like to use with my property clients is, ‘If you were to turn your house upside down, whatever falls is your contents, whatever stays put is your Fixtures and Fittings’ – it makes it so much clearer for the client as it’s easier to picture than to individually think what is fixed and what isn’t.

What do you enjoy most about your job as an insurance broker, and how do you plan to continue growing and developing in your career?

I’ve always liked helping people, finding solutions and solving problems. This is the perfect industry where you can do all three.

Working on three different areas of insurance allows me to meet different people, with different backgrounds and needs, some more complex than others. It can range from High Net-Worth individuals who own a superyacht, to a management company needing building insurance.

Providing a solution for our clients and working alongside them is rewarding, as again, insurance can be difficult to navigate.

I am currently working on my Dip CII which consist of four units and goes a lot more in depth in all insurance matters. This will allow me to understand the ins and outs of the industry and prepare me for more senior roles within insurance.

I also participate in several courses provided by the CII, GII and others which helps me stay up to date with the market changes and new trends.