Meet Bupa International’s MD

What makes Bupa International unique?

I think it’s the customer service we provide and Bupa Group’s healthcare credentials. Our highly qualified nurses and doctors are able to assist our customers over the phone and via email 24 hours a day. We are not just processing paper. We are an active part of the discussion and I think that's the real difference. There will always be customers who want to choose on price and we can't be all things to all men. We are a health insurance specialist and the service we provide our customers doesn’t just stop at their claim. If you are a Bupa International member you are one of us and we will do whatever we can to help you.

We also have to rebalance a few myths. Most people think of Bupa as a listed company making huge profits. In reality it’s a large company without shareholders that reinvests all surpluses back into the business. That’s quite a difficult message to get across. People ask, ‘What do you mean you are a company of that size with no shareholders? How did you ever get to being that big?’ Well, we just did the good stuff that we have been doing all the time - taking care of the lives in our hands. We have grown rapidly but we have had these underlying principles that are more than 60 years old - that we will reinvest back into our business - and we have stayed true to that.

There are lots of companies with long and proud histories that are being swallowed up because of pure market economics. We haven’t had that conversation at Bupa International. That’s a privilege, but it’s also a huge responsibility.

What can customers expect from Bupa International in the near future?

We have looked critically at ourselves and I don't think we have been as responsive as we need to be. With our new insurance plan Worldwide Health Options we have gone out and devised a product that starts with the customer at one end and reverses back to what we should be providing. Going forward we need to do more of that. We need to be clear about what our customers want. The problem with our insurance products is that most people hope they never have to use them and therefore you don't have too many people with firsthand experience. One of things I want to see is more innovation, particularly around the products. We need to be more radical.

Our customers want their claims processed and paid in an easy manner and most of the time we are doing that. However, you are only as good as the last great thing you did. When our customers want to come into contact with Bupa International we need to make it easier for them. They don’t care whether they are calling the Medical Centre in Brighton or Copenhagen. What we can offer them is the right person on the end of the phone, who, in the majority of cases, can speak their language, is able to access their records quickly and deals with their situation in a competent matter.

What do you like about working for Bupa International?

One of the things I like about Bupa is that we are not selling paper clips or something that is inert. We are selling something that has an impact on people’s lives. Even though we don’t actually do the surgery, you end up with a service from us at the end of the day. It’s an interventionist activity, it’s not a passive activity. It’s also one that you’ll find a lot of people have a natural affinity for and there is almost a vocational dimension to it. Our people want customers to feel better and live happier and healthier lives.