Hands-on, Dedicated to Excellence, Driven by Inclusion and Diversity: Meet the Head of Scottish Friendly

This CEO is fulfilling the aspiration for his mutual to become a leader in the UK insurance sector.

Scottish Friendly chief executive Stephen McGee’s ambition is “to create a world-class working environment” — one which is open, inclusive, collegiate, and productive.

“Scottish Friendly can serve its purpose by helping individuals and families achieve financial wellbeing through friendly products and customer care,” he says.

He was appointed to the Scottish Friendly Board in September 2021. Under his direction, Scottish Friendly has invested in its people, as well as optimising the customer experience. It targets growth and drives efficiencies that will add value for members. Its key mottos tell a story in themselves:

“We’re in this together”, “We care about our customers”, “We keep moving forward”.

The mutual’s unwavering commitment to its customers is the driving force, going the extra mile to exceed even the highest expectations. For McGee, it’s about more than that. “Scottish Friendly is dedicated to creating a workplace where every individual is valued for their unique strengths and perspectives,” he says, “whether that’s in their current functions or venturing into new roles across the organisation.”

McGee is dedicated to creating a culture of continual learning, and believes the best way ahead is to listen to colleagues, take on feedback, and implement improvements. He helped to introduce the UK’s Best 100 Companies survey as part of this strategy.

Stephen McGee is an advocate for inclusion and diversity, and supports a number of local charitable initiatives. He is a member of the risk, nomination, and investment committees. He is also director of Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Ltd’s subsidiaries: Scottish Friendly Asset Managers Ltd, Scottish Friendly Insurance Services Ltd, SFIS (Nominees) Ltd, M&GM Assurance (Trustees) Ltd, and SF Pension Managers & Trustees Ltd in April 2022. He was appointed CEO of Scottish Friendly in April 2022.

Stephen McGee is a fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and has previously held CFO, chief actuary, and board roles in the sector. i