Articles by Rosie Simms
Ex-RSA boss Lee Mooney named Markel UK MD as Neil Galjaard steps down
Neil Galjaard, managing director of Markel UK, will step down with Lee Mooney taking up the job towards the end of June, subject to regulatory approval.
People Moves: 27 – 30 May 2025
Stay in the loop with the latest insurance personnel moves.
Cotty eyes Bristol becoming Thomas Carroll’s largest region
Gareth Cotty, group chief commercial officer at Thomas Carroll, details the agility in being independent, opportunities for the Bristol office to become its largest region, and notes further buys and office expansions are not off the table.
Leicester-based broker strikes first acquisition
GOAT Insurance has purchased the full book of business from IGG Insurance, marking its first buy.
MyFirst CEO on social media opportunities and Gymshark founder taking a share
James Noble, CEO and founder of MyFirst, is aiming to create a brand every young person in the UK will know in three to five years by focusing on social media, and Gymshark founder Lewis Morgan has taken a 15% share of the business.
People Moves: 19 – 23 May 2025
Keep up to date with the latest personnel moves in insurance.
Aviva’s Yabantu: Consistency of strategy needed in mid-market
Michael Yabantu, head of mid-market at Aviva, highlights the need for consistency in mid-market underwriting strategy, and shares how the insurer is improving response times and refreshing products.
Hemming: Hiscox hungry for more schemes business in any area bar motor
Gareth Hemming, Hiscox chief distribution officer, has set his sights on high net worth, and told Insurance Age a quartet of “significant schemes” are on the way in the next three to four months.
Jensten’s £1m investment in fledgling brokers, one year on
Jordan Maskell, network director at Jensten Group, has updated Insurance Age one year on from the announcement of its plans to invest up to £1m through Coversure to help people start their own brokers.
Brokers stress the importance of claims support when choosing an MGA
Brokers have emphasised the importance of A-rated claims support when choosing a managing general agent (89%), according to research by MGA Corin Underwriting.
IFB warns on sharp rise in ghost brokers
The Insurance Fraud Bureau has launched a national campaign with the Association of British Insurers and City of London Police to raise awareness of the dangers of ghost broking with the fraud growing by over 50% in two years.
People Moves: 12 – 16 May 2025
Follow the latest personnel moves in insurance.
Biba 2025: Laura Hancock urges independents not to give up
Laura Hancock, managing director of Yutree Insurance, has urged independent brokers not to give up, as she acknowledged regulation and other factors being difficult at the moment.
Biba 2025: Mike Keating on unrated due diligence
Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, analyses how due diligence on unrated capacity should work both ways – from broker to MGA and MGA to broker respectively.
Biba 2025: Winners of International Lifetime Achievement and Francis Perkins awards revealed
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association has named Olola Frederick Olabode Ogunlana as the winner of its 2025 International Lifetime Achievement Award and Christian Poulsen as the winner of its 2025 Francis Perkins Award.
Biba 2025: Caroline Barr named first female chair at Biba
British Insurance Brokers’ Association CEO Graeme Trudgill has announced Caroline Barr as the incoming chair in his welcome speech at the 2025 Biba conference, and he looks to keep the pedal pressed to the floor.
FCA strips back insurance rule book
The Financial Conduct Authority has laid out plans to remove outdated or duplicated requirements from its insurance rule book, after it asked what improvements could be made.
Newbie News: CastleBridge Risk Solutions
CastleBridge Risk Solutions founders, Tim Grant and James Dunsby, tell Insurance Age how the business will focus on service, the importance of relationships, and all about its partnership with Cornerstone Finance Group and Imperial Chartered.
Blog: How can the industry maintain Biba fever in the new era?
Heading into another Biba conference, there will be some similarities compared to previous years, but with changes in the market through large deals, what can brokers expect as the trade body hails a new era? Rosie Simms shares her thoughts.
Avid partners with MS Amlin on leasehold product
Specialist managing general agent Avid Insurance has partnered with MS Amlin Insurance to provide capacity in the public sector ‘right to buy’ the leasehold insurance market.
UK firms underestimating cyber attack vulnerability with smallest most at risk
Businesses in the UK and Ireland are five times more likely to be the target of a cyber attack than suffer flood damage and yet only 47% have dedicated cyber cover, according to research from Pen Underwriting.
Broking Success: Pipeline of talent
CJ Insurance, specialists in close protection, security and defence has a pipeline of talent through the business, according to managing director James Clarke, as he targets doubling its size over the next five years.
People Moves: 6 – 9 May 2025
Stay in the loop with the latest insurance personnel moves.
Zurich ‘in force’ at Biba conference, with capacity deals on the horizon – David Nichols
David Nichols, UK head of retail at Zurich, looks to grasp the opportunities of e-trade, highlights a “few more” capacity deals in the pipeline, and shares his key message for brokers ahead of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association conference next…