This year’s Insurance Institute of the Isle of Man annual dinner provided an opportunity to celebrate professional excellence and reflect on the current and future challenges faced by the industry.

The event, for which the Mac Group was lead sponsor, was held at the Palace Hotel, Douglas.

Guests included the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Richard Gozney, the Mayor of Douglas Debbie Pitts, vice-chairman of the Chartered Insurance Institute Grant Scott, Isle of Man Financial Services Authority chief executive Karen Badgerow and president of the Personal Finance Society Sharon Sutton.

Guest speaker was writer and stand-up comedian Gary Delaney.

In his address the president of the Insurance Institute of the Isle of Man Matthew Hills offered a review of the past year in the life of the Institute and spoke of how the organisation was ’excellently placed’ to adapt to advances in technology and new economic realities.

The event also served as an occasion to celebrate excellence in the financial services industry with four professionals presented with awards for their achievements.

The Glyn Gilbert award for outstanding achievement in examinations went to Samantha Hall; the Aon award for outstanding academic achievement in insurance examinations to Brian O’Connor; the Isle of Man Financial Planners and Insurance Brokers Association (FPIBA) award to John Walker and the Mike Henthorn Young Achievers award to Tom Wilson.

A raffle and auction were held, with the proceeds to be divided equally between the Insurance Charities, which provides financial and practical assistance to those who work in the industry, and Mr Hills’ chosen charity for his year in office, Crossroads Carers.

The Insurance Institute of the Isle of Man is the local branch of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and also includes members of the Personal Finance Society (PFS). It acts as the educational representative body for all insurance and financial services professionals on the island. As the leading professional body for the global financial services profession, the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) exists to promote higher standards of integrity, technical competence and business capability.

With more than 112,000 members in more than 150 countries, the CII is the world’s largest professional body dedicated to insurance and financial services.

Insurance Institute of the Isle of Man president Matthew Hills, second left, with, left to right, Brian O’Connor, Samantha Hall and Tom Wilson