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Paul Cullum

Premier Guarantee will once again host expert speakers to discuss the key issues facing the construction industry this year, tickets for which you can get here.

Attendees at InSite: Building Safety and Standards will hear speakers debate and discuss the Building Safety Act, the 2025 Future Homes Standard as well as the industry codes of practice.

In this, the first in our series of articles introducing our speakers, we speak to Director of Specialist Risks at HSB Paul Cullum who tells us about his experiences and plans for InSite.

Can you tell us about a bit about where it all started for you in the industry?

I was studying electrical engineering at Plymouth, when I saw an advert in a local paper for a Trainee Sales Inspector for an engineering insurance company called National Vulcan (part of Sun Alliance). The lure of a salary was too much to resist and I worked my way up from there. NV was that largest engineering insurer in the UK at the time and a great place to learn your trade.

How about the road to where you are today. Are you able to tell us about your experience – biggest challenges or proudest moments?

I have been lucky enough to work in a number of offices around the UK and deal with some diverse market segments. I have dealt with agricultural risks, construction, commercial property investors, media risks, renewables and even cyber. I have had various roles in sales, marketing, underwriting and product development. Despite 35 years in engineering insurance, it has never been dull. My proudest moment was receiving the British Insurance Award for Innovation at the Royal Albert Hall for our Energy Efficiency Insurance product.

You are Director of Specialist Risks at HSB. Can you tell us a bit about what makes HSB so important to its customers and indeed the wider industry?

Technical expertise. HSB is the only company in the UK solely focused on engineering and technology insurance and risk management solutions. I think we are at our best when we use our knowledge and expertise to create cutting edge solutions to make our customers’ emerging risks insurable.

What is it about your job that keeps you going, whether it is the challenges, inspirations or the people around you?

It is definitely the sheer variety. One day we can be working on EV charging infrastructure, the next it could be identity recovery solutions for consumers. The fast rate of technological change means there is always something new that needs looking at.

Tell us a bit about your presentation topic for the InSite event in September. What can attendees look forward to?

Sustainability and energy efficiency is a hot topic. HSB has been insuring the performance of building retro-fit projects since 2014. There is increasing interest for performance guarantees not just for upgraded, existing building stock but also new builds. That will be at the centre of our discussion. However, as well as my thoughts, I will be very interested to hear what those attending see as their future challenges in this area.

What advice would you have for those considering attending our InSite event, bearing in mind the landscape of our industry at the moment and the need for obtaining knowledge and sharing ideas?

ESG pressures and the evolution of the Energy Act will see pressure on developers and property owners to grow enormously over the next few years. The same is true of resources to tackle it. Leaving things for tomorrow is likely to be very costly. So come along and start talking about what we can do now.

Read more articles on InSite and sign up to receive our blog round-up.

Every care was taken to ensure the information in this article was correct at the time of publication (May 2023). Guidance provided does not replace the reader’s professional judgement and any construction project should comply with the relevant Building Regulations or applicable technical standards. For the most up to date Premier Guarantee technical guidance please refer to your Risk Management Surveyor and the latest version of the Premier Guarantee Technical Manual.
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