Glenn Thornton re-joined Crawford & Company in 2018 and was recently promoted to Head of Major & Complex Loss (MCL) for UK & Ireland, but his career with Crawford stretches back to the 1990s.
Glenn joined the industry in 1991 as a trainee loss adjuster with Thomas Howell Selfe, one of several adjusters acquired by Crawford in that decade. He worked for Crawford until 2008 before returning as Global Technical Services Product Development Director a decade later.
“I have always had an affinity for Crawford and still knew a lot of people from my previous time here. The opportunity to return to the company with a focus on what I enjoy most - major loss - was one I wanted to take.”
Since his return, Glenn has been instrumental in spearheading key initiatives including the launch of the Crawford Academy and the adoption of innovative spatial imaging and data tools across Crawford’s MCL business.
The MCL Academy, launched in 2019, Its original cohort of adjusters and surveyors are already making impressive progress, generating more than £1.5 million in fee income in 2020 and, in light of its success, the Academy is being expanded to the whole of Property with the aim of providing a structured career pathway for future UK adjusters to develop their skills and careers from apprentice level through to MCL adjuster roles. “Offering claims technicians a real career pathway to becoming the adjusters of the future is vitally important to the success of the business”, he says.
New 3D imaging and virtual reality harnesses AI and machine learning to capture any indoor or outdoor site in rich photo-realistic detail, enabling Crawford’s adjusters to assess properties remotely in immersive 3D simulations. This capability has been invaluable during the pandemic and given Crawford a powerful competitive edge for the future.
“Crawford is a much more dynamic and cohesive organisation now,” Glenn says, adding that there have been many positive changes at the company since he left in 2008. “I really feel we have a UK leadership team that is looking to drive engagement, improvement and growth and to create a company that is a great place to work. I enjoy being part of that.”
He believes some of the new ways of working in the pandemic are here to stay, though he admits he is looking forward to fewer Teams calls and recommencing face-to-face meetings with colleagues and clients all around the UK – as well as the return of live sport and music.
“Expertise, stakeholder management and negotiation skills will still very much be a part of what we provide. We will however have to be far more dynamic with adjusting becoming more virtual, with less site visits and adjuster interaction only where it adds value,” he says.
“I can just about remember what it was like to go to a football match or a gig and look forward to being able to do that again. In the meantime, I am restricted to walking which will hopefully be good preparation for Lisa’s trek challenge later this year,” he adds.
Glen will join UK & Ireland President Lisa Bartlett in a group of 50 Crawford colleagues and clients undertaking a 24-mile sponsored walk later this year in aid of Insurance United Against Dementia.
