Citywealth Leaders List, 60 second interview – Tara Parchment, Brit Insurance

Date: 28 Jan 2026

Karen Jones

This week’s 60 seconds Citywealth Leaders List interview is dedicated to Tara Parchment, Head of Private Clients at Brit Insurance.

Tell Citywealth readers a bit about your role.

I’m the Head of Private Clients at Brit Insurance, which is the 5th largest syndicate at Lloyd’s of London – the largest insurance market in the world. We’re a diverse, customer focused organisation specialising in classes such as property, cargo, cyber and healthcare, as well as a growing range of e-trading products.

Our private client offering focuses on specialist insurance for HNW and UHNW individuals, giving them bespoke, exceptional cover and service for their Home and Motor portfolios.

In my role I lead a team of 17 underwriting and operational experts distributing our products through specialist Private Client Insurance Brokers. We are based in The Leadenhall Building, opposite the iconic Lloyd’s of London building, so right in the heart of the city.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I’m sure everyone says this but there isn’t really a typical day as my job encompasses so many different business disciplines, which is one of the reasons I love what I do.  

Running a successful Private Client business requires input from many different experts such as actuarial, marketing, HR and reinsurance, so there is always collaboration with one or more of these teams. This might be meeting to agree a new pricing strategy, creating a new marketing initiative or planning our people resource requirements.

We provide insurance for properties valued up to £50 million, so handling underwriting referrals for large and complex risks is common. This often requires in-depth conversations about pricing and coverage with the Underwriter, as well as negotiations with the broker.  

As a general rule I try to balance my time between internal meetings and engaging externally with our brokers and service providers. A bit like balancing work and life, this is sometimes challenging but over a week or a month I like to broadly achieve this.

If I am working at home I will try and fit in a session at the gym. For most of the week I will be in the office or travelling, so face to face time with colleagues on these days is a priority.

What challenges do your clients face and how are you helping your clients to overcome them?

A recurring challenge our clients face is the pressure of being time-poor. They are successful people, often in demanding professions and like all of us balance a busy home, work and social life. Their personal insurance needs also tend to include more risk, exposure and complexity, perhaps with homes in multiple countries.

As such, we underwrite around their lifestyles and provide broad insurance coverage, which allows them to live their lives without restriction. We provide risk management advice through our Appraisal Service, which involves expert assessments to ensure correct coverage amounts for property and valuable possessions, giving peace of mind that their homes and family are well protected and adequately insured.

We want to remove any uncertainty around protecting what is usually an individual’s largest asset, their home. Creating that certainty enables us to then deal with any claims quickly, minimising the impact of an unfortunate event and allowing them to resume normal life as quickly as possible.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Setting up Brit Private Clients. Having spent 22 years of my career at Chubb, leaving to set up a brand new Private Client division at Brit was exciting and daunting in equal measure. There are high barriers to entry, some of which I was aware of and a few that I had definitely underestimated!

Navigating around these to create a proposition without compromise has been the most challenging and most rewarding achievement. We exist to service our clients, which we do through our valued broker partners. Their feedback, which placed us as the No 1 HNW Insurer in the UK[1], is something I am incredibly proud of and has been earned on account of the passion, expertise and commitment of my team.

What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?

Leading by example is fundamental; the culture of any organisation is shaped by the behaviours and actions of its leaders. I have witnessed both the most positive and, at times, the most negative consequences of this. It is essential to be constantly aware of the impact you have, as people often look to you for guidance, whether you realise it or not. Authenticity, openness, and honesty are key, but it is equally important to avoid burdening others with your personal challenges. I take this responsibility very seriously.

Sharing and clearly communicating a vision that everyone can work towards and take pride in is vital. While this vision is often strategic and high-level, it is important to break it down, ensuring each individual understands the value and impact of their own contribution. Recognition and reward for achieving these goals are essential for motivation and engagement.

A leader does not need to be the most knowledgeable or the most capable at everything, but must inspire a team of individuals who are experts in their own areas. I believe it is crucial to hire people who are better than you in their particular fields and to foster an environment built on trust and collaboration. Making clear and assertive decisions, supported by the experience and insights of a skilled and diverse team, is a hallmark of effective leadership.

Who do you most admire and why?

The boss I had at Chubb for 20 years. Having started as a naive 21 year old with no real perception of my potential, he supported, encouraged and challenged me, most of the time without me even realising it! He champions people, is unfailingly loyal and is the most clear headed strategist I have worked with. His honesty, refusal to bend his principles to fit the politics and work hard play hard approach to life make him an inspirational leader that people love to follow.

Where was the last place you travelled to for work or pleasure?

The last place I travelled to was a business trip to Zurich, a beautiful city, for reinsurance meetings. I consider myself extremely fortunate to work with amazing people, many of whom I would choose to be friends as well as colleagues so trips like this rarely feel like work!  

If you weren’t in this industry, what else might you be doing?

Like a lot of people my age in insurance, I fell into it and then fell in love with it! I love medical themed programmes and books so like to think I could have been a doctor, until I remind myself of my GCSE science grades.  

How do you relax after a long day?

I make a conscious effort to switch off from work. Nowadays there is a rarely a time when you are uncontactable or unavailable, so knowing when to turn the phone off and focus on other things is so important. We try to eat dinner together as a family which is an important part of my day. I enjoy reading and going to the gym, and at times there is nothing better than watching some trash TV to unwind!

[1] Based on the 24/25 Highpoint Home Broker survey

Subscribe to the Citywealth Weekly Newsletter to learn more about Private Wealth Management.

Read more:

Navigating a hard market: Fresh insurance strategies for the Ultra-Wealthy