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Bringing brokers together to build AI skills, share experiences and help shape the future of the AI Academy.
Published on 3 November, 2026
We were proud to welcome the founding cohort of the BIBA & Markel AI Academy to our Leeds office for two full days of practical learning, collaboration, and discussion around the role of artificial intelligence in the insurance industry.
Delivered in partnership between Markel and BIBA, the AI Academy has been created to help brokers develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to use AI effectively in their day-to-day work. This initiative reflects our shared commitment to supporting brokers as they navigate changing technologies and explore how AI can improve productivity, workflows and client service.
Bringing together 20 brokers from across the market, alongside representatives from Markel and BIBA, the event provided a platform to learn from experts, share experiences, and explore real-world applications of AI in insurance.
Graeme Trudgill
For me, this is just the start. It's great having the face-to-face meetings, but from here we're going to build a platform together. We've got 130,000 people, working BIBA brokers, so there's a lot of people that we can help take them to the next level. So, lots of work to do, but a brilliant foundation to begin with!
Partnership in action
The AI Academy highlighted the strength of our long-term partnership with BIBA.
Markel’s Head of Strategic Sales and Relationships, Charlotte Harrison, was joined by BIBA’s Chief Executive, Graeme Trudgill, and Conference Director, Emma Chapman, to share their perspectives on why AI matters to brokers, the opportunities it presents, and the importance of developing practical digital skills for the future.
Being a committed partner to brokers means helping them prepare for change. The AI Academy aims to support brokers as they build confidence using AI and understand how innovations in technology can complement the human expertise their clients rely on.
Charlotte Harrison
What I saw in the room today was a lot of collaboration, engagement, focus, ideas, and people being really open and honest about whether they understand how they could use it or not and sharing ideas. For me, it's about continuing that conversation and that momentum.
We asked the cohort to share their thoughts on the impact of the day's learnings, and the key takeaways that they'll use going forward in their own businesses.
- CoPilot is the way forward for my business / industry. Before now I was confused about which tool to use.
- Much better understanding of AI capabilities. I have ideas for what it can help me with in my role.
- If used correctly, CoPilot could really improve productivity, efficiency and allow me to delegate tasks. This will allow me to put my time to better use. Very useful tool! Also lovely to meet everyone in this cohort.
Looking ahead
We’d like to thank everyone who attended, contributed, and helped make the first BIBA & Markel AI Academy such a huge success. We look forward to seeing how brokers put their learning into practice, build on their experiences, and shape the next stage of the Academy together.
