5 Big Questions: SAM WHITE

The Possibility Club

Why is car insurance a way to help people experiencing domestic abuse?

What makes women different leaders to men?

And why is business a better vehicle for social reform than politics?

In this week’s 5 Big Questions interview we talk to Freedom Group / Stella Insurance CEO, and Northern Power Woman, SAM WHITE

Twitter: @SamWhiteCEO

Known for:

• CEO - The Freedom Group
• Host - Human Business podcast
• Regular Contributor - Wake Up To Money (BBC)
• Regular Contributor - Business Live: With Ian King (Sky)

The Big 5 Questions:

1. How do you measure the impact of what you do?
2. How should people/businesses be preparing for the future?
3. How do we build the workforce we need for that future?
4. How do you use creativity to solve problems?
5. How do you collaborate?

Key quotes:

“Insurance is probably one of the worst marketed business entities in the history of the universe.”

“At its core, insurance really does have the power to change the world, because what is it? Well it’s a group of individuals all saying, hey you know what, we’re all going to put money in because something awful might happen to one of us and if that does occur, then the collective can step in and support. Which is a really phenomenal concept and ideology — and actually something that people should emotionally connect with.”

“We give five dollars from every policy sold to Women and Girls Emergency Centre. One of the causes that we’re really passionate about as a team is helping women that have been victims of domestic violence, which unfortunately has increased massively due to the lockdown.”

“For me what’s really encouraging is when I start to see more young female leaders coming into the sector and having a voice and not being afraid to use it. You’ll get that personal connection where they’ll message you, or come up to you.”

“We’re currently building a ‘crisis insurance’ product, which will be included as part of the motor insurance premium, just sat in the product, that if somebody is unfortunate enough to be a victim of domestic violence we can get funds to them quickly enough to get out of that situation.”

“How can we build products that have real value for a real problem that we are trying to support? And how do we then embed that into the community that we are wanting to support, so that everybody is on the same page?”

“I believe that the only way we are going to survive as a species and really make the world work, will be through the right kind of businesses.”

“I like Andy Burnham, he’s a nice guy but my general view with politics is it’s a complete waste of time. I’ve had people say to me: you’re very opinionated, why don’t you get into politics? Blah blah blah. Absolutely not. Categorically not. Because the system’s screwed. It’s a dysfunctional, rotten to the core system. Dismantle all the world governments and let the people sort themselves out.”

“We question so much more now than we used to, and we have so much more information at our fingertips.”

Useful links:

Freedom Services Group // freedomservicesgroup.co.uk/

FSC’s ‘About Sam White’ page // freedomservicesgroup.co.uk/sam-white/all-about-sam-white

Profile in The Mirror // mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/i-spent-years-washing-cars-26010470

Stella Insurance (Australia) // stellainsurance.com.au/

Women and Girls Emergency Centre (Australia) // wagec.org.au/

Sam White (LinkedIn) // linkedin.com/in/sam-white-093b9b22/?originalSubdomain=uk

Human Business podcast (Apple podcasts) // podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/human-business-with-sam-white/id1476366810

Human Business podcast (Spotify) // open.spotify.com/show/40I1TsoteuWGDcd0vO9GA9?si=dbc3753eb8f3442b

Northern Power Women circle // northernpowerwomen.com/

Moving to Employee Ownership (government guidance) // assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210450/bis-13-949-moving-to-employee-ownership-guidance-on-model-documentation.pdf

Employee Ownership Association // employeeownership.co.uk/what-is-employee-ownership/

This episode was recorded in February 2022

Interviewer: Richard Freeman for always possible

Editor: CJ Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts