How to be a great leader: ensure your team is happy

Reed Campbell, programme manager for specialty business and reinsurance at Builders, has been making waves in the reinsurance sector.

Nominated for Intelligent Insurer’s Leaders Under 40 2024, Reed Campbell, programme manager for Specialty Business and Reinsurance at Builders, spoke to us about the qualities that define effective leadership within this industry.

Campbell’s role at Builders is as diverse as it is demanding. “I am responsible for the very first review of a programme submission, everything through getting it launched and running, and eventually running it off,” he explained.

His responsibilities span a wide range of functions, including sales, underwriting, claims, legal, IT, and finance.

Campbell emphasised that while he plays a crucial role, he is part of a team where collaboration is key.

“My responsibility is to bring in quality programmes, assess them with my own abilities and the support of the team, and make sure that everyone at Builders who is going to be involved in the project is able to feel confident they can do their work without having any undue stress,” Campbell said.

Overcoming obstacles

“The biggest challenge comes when I am looking after the time and energy of all these people, making sure that no one party or one person is taking on an outsized share of the work,” Campbell noted.

As a manager, he strives to ensure that everyone feels appreciated and that their contributions are not taken for granted.

“To create the feeling of a team is an extremely large challenge, but one that I work very hard at meeting,” he said.

The most rewarding part of his career is very clear: “It’s the opportunity to travel and meet fantastic people who are experts in their field and who inspire people, in and outside their work,” he said.

Campbell is very enthusiastic about the reinsurance industry. “I find it very exciting to look at the world through the lens of what we do and have a deep understanding of what makes it all tick,” he said,

“It’s extremely exciting and feels like a bit of a secret.”

“Re/insurance as a whole is a very sturdy sector: it’s global and comes with a lot of opportunity.” Reed Campbell, Builders

A smart career move

Campbell describes good leadership as “decisive without being authoritative, articulate, and emotionally measured”.

“Good leadership seeks the betterment of the people being led, not just the betterment of the leader,” he added.

Campbell wholeheartedly recommends the re/insurance industry to young people considering their career paths. “Re/insurance as a whole is a very sturdy sector: it’s global and comes with a lot of opportunity,” he said.

“The industry offers stability because you can count on its being around for a long time, with opportunities for personal and professional growth, and the chance to meet exceptional individuals.”

“We can make a good wage, enjoy benefits, potentially travel a bit, and learn something fundamental about the world we live in,” Campbell commented.

Good leaders create leaders

Campbell aspires to continue growing as a leader, saying: “I hope to make decisions for a group, be it a team or a company, that impact and affect positively the people I lead.”

Campbell values the entrepreneurial spirit at Builders and feels encouraged to push forward with a clear vision and the support of his team.

He credits his mentors, Tony Barner and Brent Johnson, for their guidance and support in his career. “Without leadership that sought to develop me and improve my abilities and my own leadership, we wouldn’t be sitting down here,” he noted.

“I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people or to do any of the things I’ve done.”

Watch the full interview here: