Hiscox’s Hall of Fame

We take an inside look at the stories behind some of Hiscox News’ most memorable covers

During the ten years of Hiscox News, the cover has grown to become a defining feature of the magazine. Over the years, the Hiscox News cover stars – who are usually more at home in a conference room or tapping away at a BlackBerry – have been dragged out of their comfort zones and asked to pose under the bright lights of a professional photo shoot.
The covers have become a talking point for readers of the magazine, both in terms of wondering how the shoots were put together and for ribbing their colleagues and clients. Here, we pick a few of our favourites and talk to those involved to get the story behind the covers.

Ashley Cole
Head of Motor
Spring 2008
“I’d done a few little things like it before, but never anything so professional and with props. Maybe I’ve just led a sheltered life so far, but I have to say I felt really important walking on to the set. It was all so well organised and professionally done that I just turned up and did what they told me to do.
“Posing like Gordon Ramsay in an exhaust fumes-filled studio certainly isn’t something that came naturally – and the smell of the fumes was pretty unpleasant – but I think it turned out really well.”

Cath Timberlake
Former Area Manager
Winter 2008
Johanna Ward, photographer: “Cath is such a bubbly and outgoing person and we wanted to make sure that came across in the photograph. She was a really good sport who launched straight into the shoot having just got off a train and had to stand there wearing two suits fixed together by bulldog clips.
“The idea behind the black and white theme was to show how she split her time evenly between the north and south of England, and I was really pleased with the final result.”

John Heaney
Head of PSC
Summer 2008
“The shoot was really good fun. The only problem was that it was in the afternoon and I hadn’t had any lunch, so I had to sit there starving in front of an empty plate with a knife and fork for hours! The fact that the photographer took hundreds of photos, but in the end used the first one he took, was also a bit annoying, but I understand why he did.
“Lots of clients recognised me after I was on the cover, which was nice. Only a few cheeky people commented on the huge amount of airbrushing that had taken place!”

Martin Hill
Senior Development Underwriter
June 2009
“Even though the MD said he thought I looked like Wayne Rooney in it, I really liked the photograph and I enjoyed the bit of fame that being a cover star brought me. I got lots of leads from brokers after being on the cover, so it’s nice to know that it was well received professionally.
“The shoot was fun and, despite my breaking the Perspex block I was standing on, it went pretty smoothly. I heard that Lewis Hamilton had done a shoot in the same studio before me, so it was nice to know I was in such good company.”

Sam Franks
Head of Broker Operations
December 2009
“I’d never done anything like this before and I really enjoyed it, although I couldn’t believe how long it took – I was in the chair for about four hours!
“I’ve not been asked back, so maybe I should take that as a sign, but I was happy with the photo and my friends and family seemed to really like it. There were only a couple of my friends who joked about asking me to sign it. My one worry on the shoot was the huge size of the light that was dangling right over my head. I assume the shoot was insured, but I didn’t actually check!”