In this Member Spotlight, Maxine Baker CPMgr FIML shares insights from leading in the insurance and broking industry during significant disruption. From navigating regulatory change to guiding teams through transformation, Maxine highlights the power of clarity and calm in leadership. She also discusses how CPMgr strengthened her strategic thinking and confidence.
Your leadership journey
Looking back across your roles in operations, client leadership, and team management, how has your approach to leadership evolved? Were there any pivotal moments that shaped how you lead today?
Early in my career, I believed leadership meant having all the answers and keeping things moving. Over time, especially working across operations, client relationships and team management, I’ve realised it’s really about listening, bringing clarity and creating the conditions for others to succeed. Some challenging moments during change taught me to choose transparency and accountability over control. Those experiences shaped how I lead today focusing less on doing everything myself and more on building capability, supporting people and communicating clearly, especially when uncertainty affects workload, morale or direction.
Leading in a disrupted sector
The insurance and broking industry has faced significant change in recent years. What types of disruption have had the biggest impact on your role and your teams, and how have you adapted?
The biggest disruption has been the pace of regulatory change, the rapid push toward digital transformation and a somewhat unpredictable market. Compliance expectations have lifted, clients expect faster and more transparent service and teams are navigating new systems and processes while still delivering day-to-day. For me, the shift has been about leaning into structure rather than resisting change whilst building clearer frameworks, better dashboards and clear communication. When there’s uncertainty, process and clarity create confidence. I’ve adapted by staying proactive, embracing technology thoughtfully and ensuring people in our business feel supported and informed throughout.
Guiding teams through transformation
When guiding teams through periods of change or operational disruption, what practices, approaches, or philosophies have you found most effective?
For me, it always comes back to providing clarity and encouraging calm. If the team understands why we’re changing something and what we’re working towards it takes a lot of the fear out of it. I try to keep things steady with clear direction, practical next steps and avoid giving mixed messages. I’m also big on involvement, I’m not a believer of change being “done to” people I find if they are part of shaping it, they’ll back it. I like to focus on progress rather than perfection, small, consistent improvements that build confidence rather than overwhelm.
The CPMgr decision
What inspired you to pursue the Certified Practising Manager accreditation, and how did it fit into your professional growth?
Pursuing the Certified Practising Manager accreditation felt like a very natural step in my professional growth. I’ve moved into leadership by rolling up my sleeves and getting things done, but there comes a point where experience alone isn’t enough and you need to consciously refine how you lead, not just what you deliver. CPMgr gave me the space to properly reflect on my leadership style, challenge my blind spots and raise my own standards. It absolutely aligned with where I am in my career stepping into broader influence and responsibility. It was never about a title, it was about backing myself and building stronger foundations for the long term.
Impact of accreditation
How has holding the CPMgr designation influenced the way you navigate complex leadership challenges or make strategic decisions?
Holding the CPMgr designation hasn’t changed my values, but it has made me more intentional. I’m quicker to pause, zoom out and look at the broader impact before making a call and not just fix what’s urgent. It has given me a clearer structure to rely on when things feel complex or particularly significant. I ask better questions, think longer term and weigh up people, risk and strategy more consciously. It’s also given me quiet confidence allowing me to back my judgement whilst staying open and considered, which I feel helps create steadiness for the team around me.
Key mindset for adaptive leadership
If there’s one mindset, habit, or skill you believe every leader should cultivate to thrive through change, what would it be and why?
If I had to choose one, it would be self-awareness. Change exposes everything, your triggers, your blind spots and your communication style. If you don’t understand yourself, you can’t lead others steadily through uncertainty. For me, adaptive leadership starts with staying calm, asking better questions and being honest about what you know and what you don’t. When you’re grounded and transparent, your team feels it. That steadiness builds trust and trust is what carries people through change far more than any perfectly written plan.
Advice for aspiring leaders
For professionals considering CPMgr or looking to strengthen their leadership, what advice would you give to help them maximise both their impact and their career growth?
If you’re considering CPMgr or looking to step up as a leader, my advice would be this; don’t chase the credential, chase the growth. Use it as a chance to properly reflect on how you lead, where you add value and where you still need to grow and challenge yourself. Back yourself but stay curious. The best leaders I know are always learning and always refining. Be intentional about building capability around you and not just climbing personally. Your impact grows when your team grow and if you commit to doing the inner work as well as the technical work, your career progression will follow naturally.
Looking ahead
As you think about the next 3–5 years of leadership in your sector, what do you see as the biggest opportunities or challenges for adaptive leaders today?
Over the next 3-5 years, I think the biggest challenge and opportunity will be how well we support our teams through constant change while genuinely embracing it ourselves. The pace isn’t easing; expectations will keep rising and systems and ways of working will continue to evolve. The risk isn’t change itself it’s fatigue and resistance if it’s not handled well. For me, leadership is about leaning into change with a calm mindset and bringing people with you. Creating clarity, checking in regularly and being open about what’s shifting (and what isn’t) really matters. If we embrace change and support our teams properly through it, they’ll adapt with far more confidence and resilience.
