Articles by Rosie Simms
Gallagher grows real estate practice with broker buy
Gallagher has purchased commercial insurance broker Bicroft Insurance Services, expanding the broking giant’s real estate practice.
Brown & Brown acquires firm from fellow top 100 UK broker
Brown & Brown has purchased commercial motor insurance specialist BCM Acquisitions, trading as 1st UK Broking.
MGA inks five-year capacity deal with Allianz Commercial
Managing general Agent Rokstone, part of the Aventum Group, has entered a five-year capacity arrangement with Allianz Commercial.
MGA adds Hiscox to non-standard property panel
NBS Underwriting has added A-rated capacity from Hiscox to its non-standard household product panel.
Hiscox aims to be insurer of choice on schemes as it targets double-digit growth
Hiscox has set its sights on being the insurer of choice on schemes business in its chosen sectors, and is targeting double-digit growth, according to head of schemes Natasha Pettet.
Sporting Sponsor: Acrisure and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Insurance Age caught up with Mark McIlquham, CEO of Acrisure UK, to find out more about the business’s sponsorship of the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
RSA cutting up to 250 jobs in Peterborough following personal lines exit
RSA has put 250 jobs at risk in its Peterborough office over the next two years, following the insurer’s decision to exit the personal insurance market first announced in December 2023.
People Moves: 24 – 28 March 2025
Keep up to date with the latest insurance industry personnel moves.
SSP completes 18-month cloud migration at £3m cost
SSP Broker has completed its cloud migration of more than 400 brokers after 18 months, costing the software house £3m.
FCA to cut “clunky interactions” as it drives digitisation
The Financial Conduct Authority is focused on cutting “clunky interactions”, with a key move being the digitisation of forms, according to Sheree Howard, FCA executive director of authorisations.
Howden grows employee benefits business with Barnett Waddingham purchase
Howden has agreed to buy pensions and employee benefits consultancy Barnett Waddingham, doubling its staff in the sector to almost 4,000 with £500m of global revenue.
Momentum increases revenue 21% in 2024 as it grows financial support for members
Appointed representative network Momentum hit £97m gross written premiums last year growing 21%, as founder and managing director Howard Pepper looks to continue financial support for its ARs following AUB investment.
Real-life examples of SME cyber attacks needed to drive uptake – FSBIS’s Katie Freemantle
Managing director of FSB Insurance Service, Katie Freemantle, said there are not enough examples of SMEs that have suffered from a cyber attack to show real risks to small businesses.
FCA finds ineffective monitoring of outcomes for vulnerable customers
The Financial Conduct Authority has reported ineffective outcomes-monitoring for vulnerable customers by financial services firms, with some businesses lacking clarity on what good looks like, and failing to have clear measurements.
People Moves: 3 – 7 March 2025
Keep up to date with the latest insurance industry personnel moves.
Aviva launches enhanced CCI offering, creating dedicated team
Aviva has made enhancements to its digital commercial combined insurance (CCI) proposition, in response to broker feedback that it can be challenging to place more complex risks online.
Social media ghost broking frauds doubled in 2024
Action Fraud received 179 reports of social media car insurance scams in 2024, double as many as the year before.
Open GI parent reports loss in run-up to Ares investment
OM Bidco, Open GI’s parent company, has reported a loss after tax of £30.13m for the year to 31 May 2024, the final full financial year before Ares Management’s takeover and an improvement on a loss of £38.48m in 2023.
Home insurance premiums fall for third consecutive month
Home insurance premiums fell by 1.3% in February 2025, a third consecutive monthly drop, according to Pearson Ham’s general insurance price index.
Hazelton Mountford targets hitting £20m GWP milestone in two years
Established in 2008, Hazelton Mountford is aiming to hit £20m gross written premium in the next two years through organic growth, Gordon Hazelton, group managing director, told Insurance Age.
Beazley posts record profit as premium tops $6bn
Beazley has reported insurance written premiums jumped 10% to $6.16bn (£4.84bn) for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Markel appoints Nicola Cunliffe to drive broker trading
Markel has named Nicola Cunliffe as head of trading in the UK, with responsibility for brokers’ experience when dealing with the insurer.
Open GI grows sales to over £60m as investment in digital also rises
Open GI increased revenue by 5.1% to £61.7m in the year to 31 May 2024, as it invested a total of £9.1m in developing its digital offerings.
Insurers and brokers must develop services to help customers understand risks – Neil Galjaard
A panel at the Association of British Insurers annual conference explained SMEs and mid-corporate businesses need education on risk management, with insurers and brokers playing a key role.