KENNETH COTTERILL CHALKS UP 82 YEARS AS A CII MEMBER

Christopher Macleod, President of the Insurance Institute of Leicester, arranged for a special certificate to mark the occasion. He and fellow council members Mal Fairhurst and Keith Torrance visited Ken to present the certificate.

Ken joined the Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance Company (now part of RSA Group) in September 1936 at Albert Square, Manchester. After war service, he completed his Associateship and became Head of Fire Dept at Burnley, then Local Manager of the office at Loughborough where he stayed until his retirement in 1980. Ken was President of Loughborough Rotary and has continued to live independently until just a few months ago when a fall persuaded him to move into a care-home. Until a year ago, he was still despatching copies of his church magazine to subscribers by post.

Ken reminisced about his early days in insurance. His first manager was a bully – not unusual in those days. Fortunately, his manager at Leicester had a broader philosophy. ‘If the wife is happy, you’ll be happy. If you are happy you’ll be successful. If you are successful, I (your manager) will be successful.’

By happy coincidence, Christopher Macleod is a Trading Underwriter with RSA, the successor to Ken’s company. Commenting on the occasion, Chris said: ‘Reaching three score and forty years is an amazing achievement and I’m delighted, on behalf of the Insurance Institute of Leicester, to celebrate the event with Ken.’

Photograph: l to r, Kenneth Cotterill, Christopher Macleod (President of Insurance Institute of Leicester), Keith Torrance (Membership Secretary).