Senior Mutual Business Leaders from across UK mutuals visited the US recently, as part of a tour organised by Mutuo. The visit saw the group meet with Navy Federal Credit Union, The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), Ameritas Group, CUNA Mutual Group, Ontario Mutual Insurance Association and representatives from the British Embassy as well as visiting the offices of Senator Jim DeMint and Congresswoman Judy Biggert.
The Group included:
* Craig Errington, Chief Executive, Wesleyan Assurance Society
* Andrew Haigh, Chief Executive, Engage Mutual Assurance
* Moira Lees, Group Secretary, The Co-operative Group
* Damian Thompson, Head of Retail Sales, Principality Building Society
* Craig Marshall, Vice President, General Counsel – Life Operations & Secretary, The Co-operators
* Gareth Thomas MP, Shadow Minister for the Third Sector
* Lizzie Turner-Morris, Advisor to Gareth Thomas MP
* Peter Hunt, Chief Executive, Mutuo
* Mark Willetts, Head of Communications, Mutuo
The visit was the first in a series organised by Mutuo which will foster links between co-operative and mutual businesses across national and sectoral borders.
Speaking during the visit, Peter Hunt, Mutuo Chief Executive said:
“It’s increasingly clear that the challenges mutual businesses face in the UK are the very same as those faced by co-operative and mutual business the world over. How we address these issues – such as access to capital, a fairer deal from regulators and how to grow mutual businesses in challenging times – are being examined everywhere. If we want to grow the mutual sector in Britain, we need to learn from the best mutuals in other countries.”
Delegates visit Navy Federal Credit Union – R to L: Craig Marshall (The Cooperators), Craig Errington (Wesleyan), Damian Thompson (Principality), Nancy DeDona (Navy Federal) Moira Lees (The Co-operative Group), Peter Hunt (Mutuo), Vice Admiral Cutler Dawson (Navy Federal), John Peden (Navy Federal), Gareth Thomas MP, Jack Gaffney (Navy Federal), Andrew Haigh (Engage Mutual Assurance), Lizzie Tuner-Morris (Office of Gareth Thomas MP.)
Testimonials from the 2012 Business Leaders Programme visit to Washington DC
Craig Errington, Wesleyan Assurance Society
“I’ve got to admit most invites I turn down but this is one that I accepted because of the quality of the agenda and the meetings.”
VIDEO:Mutual Business Leaders’ Programme: Craig Errington
Moira Lees, Group Secretary, The Co-operative Group
“I wanted to thank Mutuo for this opportunity because I think there’s always a danger that managers can become insular and only look at their own experiences in their own countries or their own sector. This trip has provided an opportunity to talk to other like-minded organisations in the United States.”
VIDEO:Mutual Business Leaders’ Programme: Moira Lees
Craig Marshall, Vice President, General Counsel – Life Operations & Secretary, The Co-operators
“This has been a terrific opportunity for me to join UK mutual business leaders, share perspectives, have an opportunity to do that in a well run programme with a lot of content form our American colleagues. It was a good opportunity, I learned a lot. We’re a co-operative so I’ll take a lot of this back, there are a lot of similarities, I just want to thank Mutuo for a good programme and I look forward to an opportunity to participate again.”