Heroes Work Here: Nick Slinn

In your own words, tell us a little bit about yourself

I was born in Wimbledon. My family moved to the Isle of Man when I was 4 and then to Alderney (an island in the Channel Islands) when I was 11. I went to boarding school in Guernsey and then settled here afterwards. I worked for Nordic owned life and pensions insurer, Nordben, for 22 years. I started out as an administrator and worked my way up to CEO, working to become a Chartered Insurer in the meantime. In 2016 transferred as CEO to Nordben’s sister company Interben, which acts as a trustee for international retirement plans.

What inspires you?

I like being able to perform to the best of my abilities. Being part of and managing highly successful teams. I also like being in a position to provide my family with a platform for them to have fulfilling lives.

What piece of advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

First and foremost, have some fun
Identify a career that will make you tick
Go for it and don’t look back!

Can you tell us a bit about what you do in your spare time? Do you have any passions or hobbies?

I’m a sportaholic – I used to play a lot of sport, hockey, cricket and golf. These days there is less playing and more watching. Following Liverpool FC is a particular passion.

If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive) who would it be, and why?

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager. He is such a character and a brilliant manager – inspirational, highly successful, passionate, funny and seemingly a great guy with it.

What single achievement are you most proud of?

Becoming General Manager/CEO of Nordben and being responsible for a company employing over 40 individuals; with c. 25,000 policyholders and a balance sheet of over 1.2BUSD.

What is the last thing you think about at the end of the day?

I try to focus on something which I am looking forward to over the coming days or something positive that has happened that day – it’s important to get a good night’s sleep and thinking in such a way helps this.

Do you travel for work? If so, where do you go? What are the people you meet interested in?

Being employed by a Nordic owned and focused business for so long, I have travelled to the likes of Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki on many occasions. Nordben was also a member of two employee benefit networks and as a result I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to other European cities, such as Brussels, Lisbon, Vienna and Athens.

The people I have met have always been interested in meeting the needs of their clients and in turn delivering for their own organisations.

How do you think the industry will change in the next 5 years?

Technology is developing so quickly and this will inevitably lead to significant changes in how we work and how we interact with our clients and deliver solutions. Businesses that do not embrace technology will be left behind – as we’ve seen in other sectors such as retail.

What are the responsibilities of your job?

Overseeing and developing ZEDRA’s international retirement plan business. Having concentrated on one particular market it is a very exciting opportunity to transfer the experience and knowledge I have acquired to other markets.

What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?

I worked for the Nordic owned life and pensions insurer, Nordben, for 22 years, working in a number of different roles such as pensions administration and group life and disability administration and underwriting. During my last 7 years with Nordben I lead the company (as General Manager and then CEO), which was both challenging and rewarding. My time at Nordben was very enjoyable and I met, worked with and learned from a lot of great people. Although I had worked with trusts prior to my transfer to Interben, I have learned a lot more in this area over the past 4 years and it’s interesting to have the experience of managing both contract and trust-based retirement plans.

What makes ZEDRA unique in the industry? What does ZEDRA offer clients that our competitors don’t?

On joining ZEDRA, I was immediately struck by how dynamic and entrepreneurial the company is, willing to consider and find innovative solutions to meet its clients’ needs. The breadth of active wealth solutions provided by ZEDRA is second to none and creates an opportunity to provide clients with a one-stop-shop.

For more information, please contact Nick Slinn