- info@cbir.co.uk
- 07840 509 718
Kempster Bowers & Co
Carolyn Bowers Insurance Recruitment is a specialist recruitment business that brings experience and passion to the General Insurance market.
I’ve developed a strong market reputation based upon my ability to consistently provide a first-class service to each and every client or candidate that I work with.
CBIR is a principled business and at its heart are five core values; honesty, integrity, confidentiality, dedication and an uncompromising focus on quality.
It’s these values, combined with my in-depth market knowledge and consultative approach that give me an advantage over my competitors, ensuring that I match the right people to the right opportunities, within the right organisations.
I began my career in insurance recruitment in May 2006, working for Reed and specialising in personal lines. In 2008 I was approached by an ex colleague to run the commercial insurance desk at Hillman Saunders across the North West. I became well established in the region over the next five years, working with independents though to national brokers as well as both composite and specialist insurers.
Having competed with Lisa Kempster over the years I knew of her excellent reputation. After being tipped off by a mutual client that Lisa was considering a move and recently having decided to explore my own options, we met up in the first quarter of 2013. We subsequently built up a successful reputation working as a team over the following eight years before Lisa decided to retire from recruitment in July 2021, and pursue a passion of hers, food nutrition.
Running my own business presents all sorts of challenges but it is a career that I genuinely love. Knowing that it is my reputation out there and building my brand makes it even more enjoyable and rewarding.
Having worked with Carolyn for a number of years as a recruiting manager and when I personally was seeking a new challenge, I have never failed to be impressed with her market knowledge, professionalism and determination to find the right candidate for the right role. She would always be the person I would speak to about any opportunities and I would without hesitation recommend her to anyone in need of trusted and knowledgeable recruiter.
Having worked with Carolyn previously on a number of occasions I can honestly say she is one of the best recruitment consultants around. For her it is not just about filling a vacancy, its about a longer term solution. She tries to find out as much as she can about the organisation and the role so that she can fit the ideal candidate to the business. A natural fit between the candidate and the business is a win-win situation and one Carolyn Bowers constantly aspires to achieve.
I was reluctant to use agencies when looking for a career change. Like many I had a tainted perception of recruitment consultants. I am glad that I did, as a result I secured the perfect role. Carolyn proved she understood the role and the market conditions. I fundamentally believe if she had not spent the time also in understanding my skills but as importantly my character and long terms plans, I would not be doing what I love today. Carolyn raised the benchmark and shaped my career. Honesty, integrity, and passion underpin all aspects of her work. It is these qualities that have given her longevity, she is driven and motivated in helping people and employers alike in achieving their goals. If I am ever at a crossroads or looking for a change in my working life, she will be the first person I call. I trust her judgement implicitly have nothing but gratitude and admiration for her , she is a credit to her profession.
I have worked with Carolyn for many years and the way business is conducted is market leading in the recruitment world. In business when recruiting you need someone who fully understands you, your organisation and the key things you look for to achieve success. Good recruiters should do all the reviews and skill checks so they can match someone to your business. When Carolyn sends you a candidate you don’t need to look at a CV in advance because she will have always matched the candidate to our business and the role. For individuals looking for that next role this is a great business to find you a match. Most recruiters will have a brief chat with you, form a generic CV and send your personal details around the market which is so indiscrete and unhelpful. Carolyn will always meet you and discuss you requirements in great detail so you always know your time is not being wasted when you are put in front of a prospective employer.
Our business reflects our people, recruitment continues to be one of the biggest challenges we face, finding and securing the perfect fit for both the candidate and employer can be somewhat a challenge. Whilst the market is inundated with agencies most are short sighted and just chasing the income. It becomes more apparent when you meet the candidates, and it is a mismatch. This poor standard Is accepted because it is the norm and consequently many employers avoid using them. Carolyn Bowers breaks that mould. Every time we have called on her, she was prepared to invest the time and resource in really understanding our strategy, short and long term coupled with getting under the skin of our culture. In doing so we have never been presented with a potential candidate that was not fit for purpose. Whilst on most occasions she has delivered on our requirements there has been occasions she as part of the negotiations recommended that the candidate in question is not the right fit. This level of trust and respect is paramount in any long-term agreements we have not only with our clients but even with our suppliers. Her values mirror our own as business, with a high level of credibility and passion she seems to deliver when others fail miserably. As a business, trusting an expert in this field to find us talent for the future allows us to focus on what do best and develop our business with the peace of mind that sourcing talent is safely in the hands of someone we can depend on, every time.