Insight
JMG deal bill tops £60m as purchases and organic growth boost Ebitda
Augusta Topco, the holding company for JMG Group, faced a bill of £63.2m for seven broker buys in the 2022/23 financial year, far outstripping the £17.3m of acquisition costs the year before.
Review of the Year 2023: ThingCo’s Jonathon Valentine
Jonathon Valentine, CIO at ThingCo, looks forward to proving the telematics naysayers wrong and reflects on how much insurers have to fear from AI in such a heavily regulated market.
Aon to buy NFP from Ardonagh investors MDP and HPS for £10.6bn
Aon has agreed to acquire rival US broking firm NFP for a total consideration estimated to be $13.4bn (£10.6bn).
Sporting Sponsor: AbbeyAutoline and Ulster Rugby
In the first of a new series, Insurance Age caught up with Julie Gibbons to find out more about AbbeyAutoline’s sponsorship of Ulster Rugby.
Broking Success: Customer service is key for retention
Ben Henderson, managing director of Brownhill Group, is looking to expand the family-run broker’s in-house schemes and double gross written premiums.
Review of the Year 2023: Spring Insure’s Paula McManus
Paula McManus, senior PI underwriter at Spring Insure, shares her thoughts on continuing major market withdrawals and recalls Socrates when advising the political parties on how to win her vote at the 2024 General Election.
CII confirms Gill White as acting CEO ahead of Vallance leaving early
The Chartered Insurance Institute has confirmed that current chief customer officer Gill White will become acting CEO at the end of December when Alan Vallance leaves ahead of schedule.
Insurtech ARMD expands into the broker tradespeople market
ARMD, an insurtech, has formed a managing general agent to target brokers interested in the £6.5bn UK tradespeople insurance market.
Interview: SiriusPoint’s Rob Gibbs and Alex Hardy
Regional brokers’ interest in SiriusPoint has been piqued by a slew of appointments, most notably involving ex-RSA leaders, and a high profile MGA deal. Emmanuel Kenning finds out what the insurer has to offer and what is coming next.
Freemantle to succeed Perry as FSB Insurance Services MD
FSB Insurance Service has announced that with effect from 1 January 2024, its sales director Katie Freemantle will take over the role of managing director.
Lloyd’s confirms staying in iconic HQ until 2035
Lloyd’s of London has confirmed the extension of its lease to stay in its famous headquarters at One Lime Street until 2035 with an option to remain until 2040.
Review of the Year 2023: Arc Legal Group’s Peter Harvey
Peter Harvey, deputy CEO of Arc Legal Group muses on a 20th anniversary celebration and reliving his school days by becoming an Olympian long jumper.
Women make up less than 7% of CEOs in insurance sector
Women make up less than 7% of CEOs in the UK insurance industry (29 out of 431), according to research by specialist employment law firm GQ Littler.
Allianz has all the ingredients to be the go-to on mid-market for brokers, says Carey
Dave Carey, managing director for mid-market at Allianz Commercial, is upbeat on the prospects for the insurer working in partnership with brokers as he reveals the characteristics-based underwriting approach for 2024.
Lloyd’s to stay in iconic headquarters until 2035 – report
Lloyd’s of London has struck a deal to stay in its famous headquarters at One Lime Street until at least 2035, according to the Financial Times.
Heath Crawford payout underlines the perils of underinsurance for brokers
The substantial damages awarded in the recent judgment Infinity Reliance Limited (trading as My 1st Years) v Heath Crawford Limited remind insurance brokers of the perils of underinsurance, with business interruption cover being a particular pitfall…
Review of the Year 2023: Ageas’s Middle, Beckett, Clarke and Linklater
The Ageas UK management team ponder the plethora of personal lines exits and why a reduction in IPT could be a 2024 election vote winner.
Cyber risk management education needed for SMEs, says Marsh
According to Kelly Butler, UK cyber leader at Marsh, cyber remains a top priority, and there is a disconnect between the insurance world and the cyber security world.
Review of the Year 2023: Direct Commercial’s Adam Marsh
Adam Marsh, head of agency and development at Direct Commercial reflects on asking ChatGPT why commercial motor insurance should use AI and why good service is frequently over-promised and under-delivered.
Meet the MGA: Corin Underwriting
Andy Hurrell, the managing director and head of underwriting at Corin, outlines his plans for a business that has made Lloyd’s-on-Sea its home with a strategy that aims to embrace everything good about being a virtual insurer and a recognised MGA.
SEP delivers record year for business growth
Merseyside-based SEP Insurance has reported a record year, growing written premiums by 40% in 12 months.
Review of the Year 2023: Clear Group’s Neil Bunce
Neil Bunce, regional managing director at Clear Group, reflects on why penetration – not AI – is his buzzword of the year, and predicts Aviva might make a major UK acquisition in 2024.
Alain Zweibrucker named Axa Retail CEO
Axa has moved Alain Zweibrucker from Switzerland to become CEO of Axa Retail and a member of the UK and Ireland management committee.
Gallagher’s Michael Rea given expanded UK CEO role
Gallagher has promoted Michael Rea to CEO of UK broking and underwriting, subject to regulatory approval.