Mutual insurer Royal London has long put innovation and operational efficiency at the top of its legal priority list, spearheaded by deputy general counsel Peter McCusker. Having worked his way up over a decade in-house, McCusker has witnessed significant transformation within Royal London. He ends his Royal London tenure on a high, joining Pinsent Masons’ corporate team this April.
Having concentrated largely on the asset management side of Royal London’s business, McCusker has spent time supporting the insurer on long-term investment plans that will help deliver returns to its members. Included in this is a brand-new property strategy, in which legal will play a key role in the deployment of billions into private real estate assets, healthcare facilities and natural capital. Passionate about legal operations, McCusker has further been at the helm of significant innovation programmes within Royal London, including its outsourcing in 2019 of its commercial contracting capability. But business needs change and three years down the line, the decision was taken to bring work back in-house to increase engagement with procurement and train an increasing number of junior lawyers. It’s these learnings that make McCusker a key contact for any GC looking for sage operations know-how (as well as a savvy hire for Pinsents).