How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's history...
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
Inez Cooper
It was so difficult choosing a name. In the end I went for a traditional city-firm-sounding name. But really it was called William Russell after my family. William is my son (and our Head of Marketing!) and Russell is my grandmother’s maiden name."
Inez Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
It was so difficult choosing a name. In the end I went for a traditional city-firm-sounding name. But really it was called William Russell after my family. William is my son (and our Head of Marketing!) and Russell is my grandmother’s maiden name."
Inez Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
Trading begins
Trading begins
Inez begins trading on 1 June, from the attic of her house in Sutton Green, a small town near Guildford.
James Cooper joins William Russell
Sales begin to take off, so James Cooper joins as Sales Director to handle the volume!
James Cooper
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
It was time to move into our first proper office. Actually, it was a classroom in an old school for wayward boys that had been converted into office space. We soon leased another room as we took on more staff (and more computers). The wiring that trailed across the floor, connecting our huge computers, was a constant hazard. We decided to hang it from the ceiling, where it became a convenient place to drape Christmas cards. Those were the days of filing cabinets, desks piled high with paper, and the constant bleeping of fax machines.
Inez Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
Inez Cooper
Thanks to our self-professed 'geeky' programmer, we started an online presence! We must have been one of the first international private medical insurance providers to have a website. It didn't do much, but it sparked the beginning of the end for the fax machines. (We do still keep one, just in case!)
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
Inez Cooper
In September 1999, we move to a large, refurbished office building in Knaphill. All the wires are hidden from view. It's wonderful! New office furniture, and a fresh new feel for the business.
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
It was so difficult choosing a name. In the end I went for a traditional city-firm-sounding name. But really it was called William Russell after my family. William is my son (and our Head of Marketing!) and Russell is my grandmother’s maiden name."
Inez Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
Trading begins
We won the prestigious International Insurance Provider of the Year award. It came completely out of the blue and we were humbled to be winners.
James Cooper joins William Russell
Business has really started to take off. In October, we signed a deal with Allianz in Paris (then called AGF, the former French state insurer). From 1 January 2000, Allianz underwrite our health insurance and life insurance portfolios.
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How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
We soon outgrew our offices in Knaphill, so we moved to larger premises in nearby Lightwater, where the parents of Inez and James lived. Conveniently, the new "William Russell House" had plenty of space for the business's continual growth.
Lightwater Office
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
In early 2008, we partnered with Dubai Insurance Company psc, one of the oldest insurance companies in the Middle East. The partnership means we can better look after our members in Dubai and the UAE, with a local team of staff.
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Trading begins
We open another office, in the Bank of China Tower, of all places!
James Cooper joins William Russell
By now Indonesia was one of the most popular countries with our members. We needed a local presence there so we partnered with Lippo, a forward-thinking insurance company, and Fullerton, one of the leading medical services providers in Southeast Asia.
2011
2011
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
Brexit changed everything. With the UK soon to be out of Europe, we needed a vehicle inside the European Economic Area. We founded a subsidiary in Brussels, William Russell Europe SRL, of which William (Inez's son) is the director. With William Russell Europe in place, we could continue our relationship with Allianz, provide compliant insurance plans to our members.
Brussels 2021
How we've become the expat partner of choice for international insurance
A look back at William Russell's History...
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
1992
From 1 January 2021, our members began enrolling in our independent and not-for-profit members' association. With our members now officially enshrined at the heart of everything we do, we have a firm platform for rolling out additional benefits and services to our members.
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1992
Inez Cooper Founded William Russell
Inez Cooper
It was so difficult choosing a name. In the end I went for a traditional city-firm-sounding name. But really it was called William Russell after my family. William is my son (and our Head of Marketing!) and Russell is my grandmother’s maiden name.
Inez Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
James Cooper
Trading begins
Inez begins trading on 1 June, from the attic of her house in Sutton Green, a small town near Guildford.
James Cooper joins William Russell
Sales begin to take off, so James Cooper joins as Sales Director to handle the volume!
The business moves into a proper office
1993
It was time to move into our first proper office. Actually, it was a classroom in an old school for wayward boys that had been converted into office space for small businesses. We soon leased another room as we took on more staff (and more computers). The wiring that trailed across the floor, connecting our huge computers, was a constant hazard. We decided to hang it from the ceiling, where it became a convenient place to drape Christmas cards. Those were the days of filing cabinets, desks piled high with documents, and the constant bleeping of fax machines.
st
Inez Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
We launch our first website
1996
Thanks to our self-professed 'geeky' programmer, we started an online presence! We must have been one of the first international private medical insurance providers to have a website. It didn't do much, but it sparked the beginning of the end for the fax machines. (We do still keep one, just in case!)
We move into our largest offices yet
1999
In September 1999, we move to a large, refurbished office building in Knaphill. All the wires are hidden from view. It's wonderful! New office furniture, and a fresh new feel for the business.
We win an award from the Financial Times
We won the prestigious International Insurance Provider of the Year award from the Financial Times. The award came completely out of the blue and we were humbled to be winners. The business really started to take off now.
AGF (soon taken over by Allianz) becomes our global insurance partner
1999
In October 1999, we signed a deal with Allianz in Paris (then called AGF, the former French state insurer). From 1 January 2000, Allianz underwrite our health insurance and life insurance portfolios.
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Searching for new offices again!
2003
We soon outgrew our offices in Knaphill, so we moved to larger premises in nearby Lightwater, where the parents of Inez and James lived. Conveniently, the new "William Russell House" had plenty of space for the business's continual growth.
Our first venture overseas launches in Dubai
2008
In early 2008, we partnered with Dubai Insurance Company psc, one of the oldest insurance companies in the Middle East. The partnership means we can better look after our members in Dubai and the UAE, with a local team of staff.
Our second overseas venture, this time an office in Hong Kong
We partner with Lippo in Indonesia
2018
2011
New Office
By 2018, Indonesia was one of the most popular countries with our members. We needed a local presence there so we partnered with Lippo, a forward-thinking insurance company, and Fullerton, one of the leading medical services providers in Southeast Asia.
In late 2011 we open another overseas office, in Hong Kong (in the Bank of China Tower, of all places!) to serve members in this area and surrounding regions better.
We incorporate William Russell Europe in Brussels, Belgium
2020
Brexit changed everything. With the United Kingdom soon to be out of Europe, we needed a vehicle inside the European Economic Area. We founded a subsidiary in Brussels, William Russell Europe SRL, of which William (Inez's son) is the director. With William Russell Europe in place, we could continue our relationship with Allianz, provide compliant insurance plans to our members.
We launch our independent members' association
2021
From 1 January 2021, our members began enrolling in our independent and not-for-profit members' association. With our members now officially enshrined at the heart of everything we do, we have a firm platform for rolling out additional benefits and services to our members.
Plenty more to come in 2021 and beyond!
Brussels 2021
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