Charles Shirazi

Charles studied veterinary medicine at the Royal Veterinary College for four years and holds a BSc (Hons) in Pre-Clinical Veterinary Science. Veterinary care is about knowing what an animal needs. Pet insurance is about helping owners say yes when that care matters most.

While he was still studying, he built Ask Fido, a differential diagnosis tool. It took veterinary symptoms and investigative findings and worked out which diseases could be causing them. It won an award. It became The Online Vet, a consumer platform that turned the same idea outwards. That took an owner’s description of what their pet was doing and worked back to what might be behind it. Alongside it he co-founded The Vet Network, a recruitment company matching practices with the right people.

He joined the business in 2016, intending to stay a short while and keep building those platforms on the side. He stayed because he found a place where he could help thousands of pets at once, rather than one at a time.

He started as a Veterinary Technical Advisor in claims, reviewing real customer claims. That insight showed him what pet owners actually needed from their cover. From there he moved into product innovation, then a group-wide ecosystem role, and now leads the product function. He is responsible for the overall proposition and product strategy across multiple brands in multiple countries.

Much of his work is about making sure pet insurance products are useful in practice, not just clear on paper. That means using FCA product governance and Consumer Duty as part of good product design. Understanding who a product is for, what value it provides, and whether customers get the support they need across the life of their policy. He is particularly interested in how insurance can help owners make better decisions earlier. That might be through clearer cover, more accessible guidance, or digital veterinary support before a problem becomes a claim. What he is after is straightforward: products that are easier to understand, easier to use, and genuinely helpful when pet owners need them.