NIG: Regional changes will take effect from May 2013

The insurer announced today that 90 jobs are at risk in its regional offices.

The provider plans to transfer administrative and underwriting functions to two new regional underwriting centres, one in Manchester, serving the North, and one in Bristol, servicing the South.

Mr Greenwood said that the company did not intend to “make any material changes” until that point, and that staff numbers for the new underwriting centres had not been “broken down” at this stage.

“It will be a long lead in to any change and then a long transition period,” he said. “Potentially the last changes would be taking place around about November time.”

Regional footprint
Mr Greenwood claimed that maintaining a regional footprint remained a “key strategy” for the provider, and continued: “We want to give increased authority to regional offices and what this change allows regional offices to do is to become much more trade focused.

“They can concentrate on new business and renewals.”

He stated that brokers wanted a more efficient and straightforward service when it came to underwriting, and commented that there would be greater scale in the Bristol and Manchester offices, which would lead to improved service.

Mr Greenwood added: “In terms of broker interface with NIG, that will continue to be carried out through regional offices.

“New business is where it’s most important for [brokers] to have good strong local contacts.”

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