Command and conquer

The impact of the consolidators on general insurance distribution has dominated the 12 years I have been an independent consultant. Incurring the wrath of various giants of the broker market, I wrote an article in 2003 headed ‘Beware the barbarians at the gate’ warning insurers against encouraging broker consolidation, pointing out that a change in distribution would alter the balance of power, forcing margins to be eroded and how once a trickle of sales started, these would turn into a torrent