Ian Smith – Client Director
have worked in the commercial insurance industry for more than 30 years, advising businesses of varying sizes and complexity across a broad range of sectors.
My principal areas of expertise are insurance for Amazon and e-commerce sellers, recruitment businesses, construction companies and commercial property owners. I also have extensive experience supporting manufacturers, motor fleets, motor traders, hospitality businesses, professional firms, importers, warehouses and distributors.
I take a consultative approach to insurance. Rather than simply reviewing an existing policy, I take the time to understand how a business operates, where it trades, its contractual responsibilities and the risks that could affect its future.
This enables me to present the business clearly to insurers, identify potential gaps in cover and arrange an insurance programme that reflects the client’s actual activities and plans for growth.
My aim is to provide clear, practical advice and remain accessible throughout the insurance year, not only at renewal.
Amazon and E-commerce Seller Insurance
I have developed specialist knowledge of the insurance requirements facing Amazon sellers, online retailers, importers and private-label businesses.
My experience includes:
- Product liability insurance
- Amazon insurance requirements
- Sales into the UK, US, Canada and other territories
- Fulfillment by Amazon
- Imported and private-label products
- Marine cargo and goods in transit
- Product recall and contamination
- Cyber and business interruption insurance
I help clients explain their products, supply chains, quality controls and sales territories to insurers. This is particularly important where products are sold into North America or manufactured overseas.
I also assist sellers when Amazon requests evidence of insurance, helping ensure that policy limits, territorial cover and documentation meet the platform’s requirements.
Recruitment Industry Insurance
I arrange insurance for recruitment agencies, employment businesses and labour suppliers operating across a variety of sectors.
My experience includes:
- Professional indemnity
- Employers’ and public liability
- Vicarious liability
- Temporary worker exposures
- Drivers’ negligence and driver placement
- Construction, industrial, healthcare and IT recruitment
- Umbrella company arrangements
- Cyber and data protection
- Management liability and employment practices liability
I work with clients to understand the roles they place, the industries they supply and their contractual responsibilities, helping ensure that their insurance reflects the work they actually undertake.
Construction Insurance
I work with contractors, subcontractors, developers and specialist trades, including businesses undertaking higher-risk or technically complex work.
My experience includes:
- Main contractors and subcontractors
- Groundworkers and civil engineers
- Builders and property developers
- Roofers and specialist trades
- Structural steel and engineering contractors
- Contract works and contractors’ plant
- Employers’, public and products liability
- Professional indemnity
I help clients understand how contracts and working practices can affect their insurance, including design responsibility, collateral warranties, indemnity to principals, excavation, work at height and the use of subcontractors.
Commercial Property and Real Estate Insurance
I arrange insurance for commercial and residential property owners, investors, developers and managing agents.
My experience covers:
- Commercial and residential property portfolios
- Mixed-use properties
- Shops, offices, warehouses and industrial units
- Blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation
- Unoccupied properties
- Properties undergoing renovation
- Loss of rent and alternative accommodation
- Property owners’ liability and terrorism insurance
I help clients consider rebuilding costs, occupancy, construction, tenancy arrangements, fire protection, security and the potential loss of rental income following damage.
This includes reviewing declared values and indemnity periods to help reduce the risk of underinsurance.
Specialist Claims Support
When a claim occurs, I remain involved and use Konsileo’s specialist claims service to provide clients with experienced and proactive support.
Working alongside our claims specialists, I help ensure that clients understand what information is required and remain informed throughout the claim.
Support can include:
- Initial claims guidance
- Assistance gathering documentation
- Liaison with insurers and loss adjusters
- Regular progress updates
- Support with delays or disputed issues
- Review of claims trends and loss information
- Risk-management recommendations
The objective is to ensure that clients feel supported from the initial notification through to settlement.
Wider Sector Experience
In addition to my principal specialisms, I arrange insurance for:
- Manufacturers and engineers
- Motor fleets and motor traders
- Haulage and distribution businesses
- Marine cargo and goods in transit
- Hotels, pubs, restaurants and retailers
- Professional and financial risks
- Warehousing, storage and waste businesses
With more than 30 years of commercial insurance experience, I offer clients a combination of technical knowledge, practical business understanding and access to a broad insurance market.
Whether a client is selling products internationally, supplying temporary workers, undertaking construction projects or managing a property portfolio, my role is to understand the risk, explain the available options clearly and arrange insurance that provides meaningful protection.
DOWNLOADS
Amazon Seller Application Form
Recruitment Business Proposal Form
