Mega-deals and the challenges of integration

Many years ago, when I first started in sales, I happened to visit a London-based insurer called CGNU at St. Helen’s, in the days before the Gherkin. As the ‘exciting’ brand name implied, CGNU was formed from an amalgamation of many insurers after a massive spending spree—Commercial Union, General Accident and Norwich Union. I dared to try to sell a core platform to their CEO. His response went something like: “Don’t try and sell me another system, I’ve got one of everything,” and to be honest, he did.