40 Years In The Insurance Business

Interviewed by Angus MacCaull

After a couple of summers working with our founder Alcorn in the 1970s, John Munro joined AA Munro Insurance full time in 1979. He recently celebrated his 40th Anniversary with us!

What’s been the biggest change in the industry since you started?

The biggest change I’ve seen in the industry is going from a paper world with handwritten applications, two part handwritten memos and huge paper files, dealing in cash and handwritten checks, a receipt book at home to collect money in evenings … to a paperless work environment with computers, debit cards, e-transfers,  etc. Wow we have come a long way!

 

What’s the best part of your work week?

I am a early riser so I like to be on the road to work by 7 am and having a coffee with coworkers and asking what they took for lunch and then planning out our day before the phones start.

 

Do you have any advice for making it through stressful times?

To make it through stressful times, I put whatever it is to the top of my plate and try to deal with it right away.

 

Do you have any memories of Alcorn to share?

Wow where do I start. First of all, everyone knew Alcorn. He always drove a large car and dressed in a suit 7 days a week. Everywhere we travelled everyone knew AA. In the early years I did a lot of driving for him. We would head to Sydney at 4 o’clock maybe getting home at midnight on a road call. We had a ritual on Saturday mornings of sharing the Chronicle Herald along with his brother Bobby and discussing the work week along with other mail and doing up the cash receipts. Normally around 3 pm we would  call it a week lock up the office and head home. In the 1980s there were always company reps in the office for 2-3 days at a time, which Alcorn really enjoyed. It was more of a personal relationship than a business one. Many times I saw the reps at Alcorn’s house out on the ride on mowing grass and doing yard work — that would be unheard of today! He was always well respected by everyone.

 

What does AA Munro mean to you?

I am proud to be part of the Munro family and represent the company for over 40 years as being originally from the Whycocomagh area.