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Broker Profile
SPORTSCOVER
BROKER
PROFILE
Could you please describe the career path that has
brought you to where you are today?
I started in insurance in 1979. I went to Belfast to work
for AON then came back in 1982 to work for local broker
McMahon & Galvin until 1987. I then started the O’Driscoll
O’Neil Group and am currently the CEO/major shareholder.
What are your particular areas of interest or specialty
in the insurance business?
I specialised in sports insurance about 10 years ago and was
the only broker in the Irish market dedicated to sports teams.
This evolved out of my interest in underage soccer. I am Club
Secretary of one of Ireland’s largest schoolboys’ soccer clubs
- St. Joseph’s Boys AFC.
I designed an insurance solution programme for soccer clubs
10 years ago and have now replicated the same products for
over 30 different national governing bodies.
My particular interest in sports insurance is to provide solutions
to many volunteers who run clubs.
What professional accomplishments are you most
proud of?
Some of the major accomplishments for the business are
that we were the first brokerage in Ireland and the UK to
achieve ISO9000 and Q Mark status, together with having a
specialised sports team.
What are the best aspects of your current job?
A great part of my current job is the variety of dealing with
the different aspects of sports organisations and, indeed,
businesses alike.
What do you feel are important challenges for the
industry in Ireland at the moment?
The challenge is going forward in Ireland which is suffering
from the economic recession. Premiums and claims are on a
sharp rise, which presents challenges in the whole area of
risk management and client ownership. Ireland in particular
is a highly-educated society and understands the need for
solutions in these areas, but the reality is that it all costs
money and time.
You’ve worked with Sportscover for some time now.
Do you have any comments on your dealings with the
company?
Our relationship with Sportscover has grown well over
the last few years and the support of an insurer who
understands sport assists O’Driscoll O’Neil in delivering
tailor-made solutions to our clients. The variety of products
that they offer is so much more beneficial than standard
insurers operating in the market place.
Which sports to you participate in or follow?
I currently manage the Under 8s in St. Joseph’s and am a
keen supporter of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
My favourite Manager would be Alex Ferguson. I have a keen
interest in all sports.
Which personal accomplishments you are most proud
of in the last few years?
My biggest personal accomplishment was fighting cancer
20 years ago and my most recent on-going personal
accomplishment is managing three teenage children.
What do you regard as your personal strengths and
weaknesses?
I’m highly motivated, focused and know what I want. My
biggest weakness is lack of tolerance.
Pictured above: Niall O’Driscoll (centre) with his brother Tim
(left) and Sportscover’s Christopher Nash (right) in Melbourne
recently.
Niall O’Driscoll
CEO, O’Driscoll O’Neil Insurance
Niall O’Driscoll is the Chief
Executive Officer and major
shareholder of O’Driscoll
O’Neil Insurance Brokers,
based in Dublin.
He is a highly motivated,
solutions-focused individual
who counts navigating the
perils of three teenage
children as one of his
greatest accomplishments.
Niall kindly shared some of his time and insights with
Touchline
.
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