From tick-box training to a platform people actually want to use
Brown & Brown is one of the largest insurance brokerage and services companies in the world. Their UK and European operation is a growing arm of a US-headquartered business, which meant, from day one, they needed a training and CPD solution built specifically for the UK market.
That was seven years ago. They're still with Zing365.
The challenge: US infrastructure, UK regulatory demands
When Brown & Brown's UK business was expanding, the instinct was to plug into the group's existing US systems. It quickly became clear that wasn't viable. UK insurance regulations, FCA competence requirements, and CPD standards are fundamentally different from their US counterparts. The content, the reporting, the compliance logic, all of it needed to be UK-specific.
"We needed a provider that could give us not just the content, but the platform as well," says Mark Williams, Head of Learning and Development. "And it needed to be built for how insurance works here."
When Brown & Brown acquired Global Risk Partners in 2022, the Zing365 partnership came with it, already established, already working. The decision wasn't to find a new solution. It was to recognise a good one and build on it.
Mark had known Zing365 from earlier in his L&D career. "I'd have been more than happy to have made that choice if it had been my choice," he says.
Mark came to Brown & Brown with broad L&D experience across the insurance sector, including first-hand knowledge of how other platforms in the market operate.
The solution: a platform that keeps pace
Seven years in, what keeps Brown & Brown with Zing isn’t inertia, it’s the pace of change.
"One of the things that matters most to us is innovation," says Mark. "With our previous platform, updates just weren't happening. With Zing it's the opposite. There's always something new, more AI, video learning, better reporting tools. That growth mindset aligns with ours."
For Lewis Game, L&D Manager and the person closest to the platform day- to-day, the operational difference is just as significant.
"The reporting capability is something we couldn't replicate on our own. Being able to evidence competence at different levels, across different roles, is exactly what the FCA expects, and Zing makes that straightforward."
Day-to-day, the platform has shifted the experience for learners too. Where the old system was functional but uninspiring, Zing Total CPD gives Brown & Brown's people somewhere they actually want to go.
"It's not just the hard regulatory stuff," Mark notes. "People can find things to learn across a much broader range of topics. That open catalogue matters."
What would happen if Zing disappeared?
When asked what they'd miss most, the answer was immediate: the support.
"Without that external partner, my inbox would be full," says Lewis. "We don't have the capacity to manage this internally. Zing feels like part of the team — they remove the headaches so we can focus on actually developing our people."
Mark agrees. "It's when the wheels come off that you notice the wheels were on in the first place. With Zing, that moment rarely comes, and when it does, the response is fast and the issues get resolved. I've only got positive things to say."
"Compliance is necessary," Mark adds, "but it shouldn't be the ceiling. We want our people using the platform for more than just regulatory requirements, and Zing gives us the tools to make that happen."
Still here, seven years on
Brown & Brown's relationship with Zing365 predates both Mark and Lewis's time at the business. They inherited a partnership that was already working. Seven years later, it still is.
"The relationship works because it feels like a genuine partnership. We have shared goals, the team are collaborative, and that comes through in everything they do, from the day-to-day support with Colin and Bradley through to the strategic conversations with James and Fran. It doesn't feel like a supplier relationship. It feels like we're working towards the same things together."
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