Catherine Stagg-Macey, senior analyst with Celent
Interestingly, retaining talent is not a top conversation issue for CIOs here in Europe. We just don’t see retention of IT talent in Europe as quite the same challenge as perhaps it is in North America. Companies, particularly large insurers in the UK, have used outsourcing to provide skills in legacy areas and so addressed the challenge of retaining legacy skills. Geography may also play a factor in the retention question—most insurers are concentrated in the large cities in Europe. So you can stay working in London for all your life, but move through several interesting and challenging roles in your career at several different insurers (or consulting houses). The upside for the insurer is access to this large pool of skilled resources on your doorstep.
(To read what Stagg-Macey has to say on digital marketing strategy for insurers, click on this archived Tech Decisions article.)