Gina Fusco shares her career story ...

How I started
Just over 10 years ago I was working as an independent consultant when Lindsay Sinclair, who was the NFU Mutual CEO at the time, asked if I would help his leadership team to build a customer-centric strategy. It’s always been important to me to put the customer at the heart of the strategy, so this was a very strong fit for me. This strong customer focus, which I saw throughout the business, was one of the reasons I then joined NFU Mutual permanently.

What impressed me about NFU Mutual
As well as doing the right thing for customers, it was the values around integrity, openness and honesty that impressed me about NFU Mutual. I was particularly impressed at how collaborative the teams were across the business, combined with a real drive to be commercially astute. I remember thinking what great potential the organisation had. Strategically, there was a lot to do but it was an intriguing and complex challenge. I was confident I had the business background to enable me to make a real difference and be a part of making sure NFU Mutual was around for another hundred years.

My role today
I’ve now been at NFU Mutual as Director of Strategy & Marketing since 2013. To deliver the strategy, we have had an ambitious programme of change and throughout my time with the business, I’ve seen NFU Mutual grow and evolve. I’m proud to be a part of an environment which strives for commercial success while delivering a strategy which is true to its values and focuses on customers and our people.

It's very easy to look at the Mutual and see a business that's been around for a while and think it must be quite traditional, but it’s not like that at all. We have talented people who embrace change and tackle challenges head on, and we’re working on projects that lead the rest of the industry.

A great place to work
We know that 95% or our general insurance customers renew their policies with us every year. One of the reasons for this is that our people go above and beyond. If you do business with us, you'll enjoy the personal and professional approach we’re known for. It’s inspiring to be part of that and it’s also a reflection of how we are as an employer. Our culture is built around being a great company to work for. And This means you’ll be supported across all elements of your role. Your potential is seen, you’re encouraged to develop, and you’ll be supported to get where you want to be in your career. This is a business where you feel that people are genuinely trying to help you to succeed.

It’s about far more than insurance
As well as the commercial part of my role, there’s also many other valuable things I am a part of. As well as providing insurance our customers can rely on, there’s a broad range of things we're doing to make a positive impact on our customers, our employees, the environment, and the communities we serve. For example, I chair our Farm Safety Foundation charity, something we decided to set up to reduce deaths on farms by educating young people. And throughout the pandemic, when we knew our communities were struggling, we immediately set up a fund that was distributed through our agents to those that needed support.

Bringing perspective as a female leader
I was already in a senior role before I joined NFU Mutual. Here, we don't treat people differently based on gender. We recognise that life events can become a barrier to career progression, particularly for women, who may take time out of the business for maternity leave or caring responsibilities. As a female director within the business, I’m keen to do my best to support career progression for women. I’m always happy to be a mentor and share my perspective to those who think it could be valuable.

Taking control of your career
I’d encourage everyone to take control of their career. Always take an active interest in your career and identify what you need to do to build your capabilities and skills to progress to where you want to be. It can sometimes be hard to know the direction you want to take, but if you can explain broadly where you think you’d like to go, at NFU Mutual you can ask for help to gain the skills or experience you need to make it happen. Never be afraid to ask for feedback on what you’re doing well and where you’re not performing. Feedback is invaluable and can help guide your next steps. It can even lead you in a direction you hadn’t thought of.

Gina Fusco, Director of Strategy and Marketing

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