Spotlight on… Samantha Kayler and her childhood talent that led to her breaking a world record

May 7, 2020

For the fifth part in our spotlight series of talented and interesting people, we are shining the spotlight on Samantha Kayler, an Account Handler for COBRA London Markets, which was acquired by PIB Group in 2019. Here, Samantha shares insights into her career so far, what she likes about being part of PIB Group and her secret claim to fame.

Quick whistle-stop tour of your career to date

When I was 19, I started working at a high street broker in Southend then at the age of 22, I started a job at Sterling Hamilton Wright which was based on the Isle of Dogs. The job was in the Motor Fleet department and for most of my career, fleet insurance is the class of business I been involved in.

In 2014 I went on maternity leave and after being off for a year, I wanted to return to work on a part time basis. Unfortunately, the company I was working for at the time, did not have any part-time roles available in the fleet department. They did however offer me a part-time role in the commercial team, where I worked on property and liability insurance for the first time.

In 2017 I joined COBRA London Markets, as it sounded like a good opportunity and I liked the idea of specialising in liability. I then moved into the property a couple of years later where I am today..

What do you enjoy about COBRA being part of the PIB Group?

I like that PIB Group actually works as a group. I feel it’s very inclusive and as a result of being part of a wider group, there are lots of resources available to us to help us get our jobs done. Before the Coronavirus pandemic we moved  into share an office with Citynet, which is great as it allowed us to work more closely. It opened opportunities for us to use markets and contacts we didn’t have beforehand and vice versa for them.

What opportunities do you see lie ahead as being part of a wider group?

If you need something done, there are more resources and opportunities to reach out to people. Being part of a bigger group means there lots of different specialisms that we can tap into and offer to our clients.

We heard you were once in the Guinness World Book of Records, tell us more…

I was a cheerleader from the age of 14 until I was 22 years. We got called up to take on a challenge and beat a world record of how many cheerleaders you can fit in a smart car. At the time, the record stood at 13 cheerleaders and we managed to fit 14 people in.

Unfortunately, our record has now been beaten and the current stands at 20 cheerleaders!

I really enjoyed my time as a cheerleader and all the amazing opportunities it gave me. Just one example is, winning a competition for an all-expenses paid trip to New York. We stayed in a Hilton Hotel and performed in a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is something I will never forget!

What keeps you busy outside of work?

I have two young children; Isabelle is five and a half and Leo is three and a half. So, they keep me very busy!

Samantha’s story follows on most recently from our spotlight story on George Pinner. For more information about PIB, visit www.pibgroup.com.