Episode 13 – Sam White – Resilience and Adaptability

In this episode of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors, Jeff Dewing speaks to Sam White, CEO of Freedom Services Group. Sam cares passionately about diversity, equality, innovation and above all, making business human. Motivated by a desire to change the insurance industry for the better, Sam is a vocal advocate for levelling the playing field for women and championing female leaders within the industry.

Sam started her first company in 1999, just a year after her mother who battled with alcohol addiction tragically died of an overdose.

Despite starting a number of businesses Sam describes herself as an entrepreneur, not a CEO, and she draws an interesting distinction as to why. You’ll also hear how a change in UK regulation led to Sam’s business losing 60% of their revenue in a four week period. Sam describes the difficulties that that presented, and how they set about overcoming those. She also discusses gender bias in society and how she designed an insurance product targeted at women.

Sam explains that one of her drivers is ‘Why not?’ It was that mentality that led her to live in Beverly Hills for a time – in a house that was later rented by One Direction!!!