We spoke with Malcolm Addy, Country Manager – UAE, to discover his favorite experience with McLarens, his passions outside of work, and his advice for someone beginning their career.
What has been one of the most interesting or rewarding experiences you have had at McLarens?
I have been working with McLarens in the United Arab Emirates for nearly three years. Recently, I have been fortunate to have benefitted from the McLarens’ global network by partnering on claims and to support our operations in India, a place I had not previously been, on some large cyclone losses. While deployed there, our hosts took us to some local Hindu temples, and I also had the opportunity to participate in giving awards at a company ceremony and enjoyed a private helicopter ride. None of those experiences were claim related, but it was great fun to experience whilst witnessing other cultures and my work with McLarens allowed me the opportunity.
Closer to home, I handled a significant dock crane collapse at a local port, which became a high-profile, in-depth case. In addition, off-road driving in the sand dunes is popular here, but I have spent many days surveying pipelines in the UAE mountain areas, which requires true off-road driving and in locations not accessible to the public – very interesting! And, as I write this, I have a new significant fire loss at a local egg farm – so it is the diversity of work and the anticipation of what is next that keeps this work entertaining.
I’m pleased that the inaugural year of McLarens Platinum Circle, our global employee recognition program, will culminate in the award winners visiting Dubai from across the world later this year. I look forward to interacting with my esteemed colleagues.
What do you like to do outside of work? Do you have a personal passion?
City living in an apartment is typical of life in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The summer heat touches 50 Centigrade and so I do not get to do as much gardening, outdoor hiking, or cycling as I’d wish. However, Dubai is building many miles of cycle tracks, which can be used in the winter months. I like freshwater lake and river fishing, but I am not in the right place for that either! So, in order to stave off a sedentary lifestyle, I enjoy going to the gym periodically.
What advice would you give someone starting out in this field or considering it as a career option? I’d encourage gaining professional qualifications as a foundation to your career. Of course, depending on where you are located, these opportunities differ. In my case, I undertook the UK Chartered Insurance Examinations and the CILA Loss Adjuster examinations. It can take time to become established and gain experience, but I think great national and international opportunities remain to work in loss adjusting and I’m fortunate to be part of a premium global leader in the industry.
Explore | McLarens Middle East Leadership: Malcolm Addy
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