Meet our Founder

I’ve been a loss adjuster for over 40 years, starting work in the 80’s with Thomas Howell Selfe in Liverpool. The variety of loss adjusting assignments is what attracted me then, and this has if anything increased since I began working on the broker and policyholder side of the fence. I still get a buzz from successfully achieving the ‘Holy grail’ of settling a claim and keeping everyone happy – and this is a philosophy I have instilled into the team at CEC.

What else can I say about myself that might be of interest? After a law degree and working as a loss adjuster for eight years I took a career break and trained as an opera singer in Glasgow, winning a scholarship to what has become the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. After a short spell as a professional in Scottish Opera I decided to enjoy my hobby performing principal roles in Opera and Musical theatre with amateur companies.

I golf enthusiastically. I cycle stoically. I used to run but gave up distance running after my second London marathon over 25 years ago. My favourite holiday destinations abroad are Madeira for sun and the Pyrenees for snow. I have been married to the marvellous Mrs Topping for 44 years and she still runs the finances for CEC for which I am eternally grateful. We have two children and two grandchildren, all in the south of England, which sadly restricts family get togethers.

The business model I devised for CEC is my proudest achievement. I saw a gap in the market in 2003 and filed it. I realised that smaller independent brokers desperately needed claims assistance. So many of them were out of their depth when insurers resisted claims. The key breakthrough was working out how to give a service that was cost-neutral for the broker. This was a gap that CEC has filled ever since. I hope you agree.

To find out more about CEC visit our website www.cecclaims.co.uk