Head of Health and Wellbeing
Ed Watling
With 20+ years in healthcare, Ed advises global companies on healthcare and wellbeing packages to help support their employee mental and physical health.
“Every business problem has a solution, you just have to find the right one.”
Few people set out to work in insurance, and I’m no exception. However, once I found my way in, I discovered something I hadn’t expected: a love of problem solving.
Competitive sport taught me years ago that high-pressure situations don’t reward bluster. You have to read things quickly, stay calm, and find the right move. I’ve used this strategy for everything I’ve done for clients since.
I’ve spent over 25 years in employee health and wellbeing benefits, working across both provider and broker environments with organisations in the UK and globally. Today, as Head of Health and Wellbeing Benefits at Mattioli Woods, I work with businesses of all shapes and sizes, from managing directors of small owner-managed businesses, to HR and benefits directors at large corporates, helping them build the right provision for their people. This includes private medical insurance, dental, health cash plans, employee assistance programmes, mental health support, menopause support, financial wellbeing, and international healthcare.
One of the most common situations I come across is a business that’s simply outgrown its benefits. What worked well for a 25-person team rarely fits a 250-person organisation. I’m not there to criticise whoever put the original package together, I’m there to say: you’ve grown, and your benefits should reflect that. Getting that right delivers real results: better employee engagement, stronger recruitment and improved retention.
There’s a simple truth that often surprises employers: well-structured benefits are a more powerful retention tool than a pay rise. If a competitor offers someone an extra £5,000, they can be matched and beaten, but if your people have access to healthcare, mental health support, and meaningful wellbeing provision, that’s far harder to replicate. It’s the kind of advantage that compounds quietly, and that’s exactly the sort of solution I enjoy building.
Outside of work, I’m a devoted Liverpool FC supporter and enjoy time with my family. My competitive sport days may be largely behind me but the mindset they instilled isn’t: stay steady, read the situation, and find the right move.
