Raft of senior changes at Willis-acquired Prime Professions

In April, Willis swooped for the privately-owned broker, whose gross written premium was reported to be in the £75m to £100m bracket. 

Insurance Age can reveal that according to Companies House, five directors all resigned on 18 June.

Most notably, Prime Professions CEO Tim Smyth, who had been in the role since March 2010, left the broker.

Finance director Glen Aguilar-Millan, who too had held the role since March 2010, also left. As did head of risk and compliance for four years, Tony Stovold, who was also listed on Companies House as company secretary.

Meanwhile, another director Ralph Sharp was also shown to have left. 

Bizarrely however, managing director of eight years Duncan Philpott, is also listed as having resigned, however, Insurance Age understands this was an error.

Private-owned
Meanwhile, according to Companies House, Australian Neil Perry, who has most recently been CFO, Willis & Willis Global Business, joined Prime Professions as a director on 3 July.

He was joined on the same day by Willis chief operating officer Paul Owens and another Willis man Alistair Peel as company secretary.

Willis declined to comment on the changes.

Lloyds-accredited Prime Professions was previously a private-owned broker. Its headquarters are based in London, while it also has an office in Leeds.

The timing of the Prime Professions acquisition represented a significant move for Willis, with its most recent deal having taken place in 2004 when it took on a majority shareholding in Ireland's Coyle Hamilton.

It came two years after Prime Professions rejected claims it was struggling financially and that it had been in discussions with Aon about a takeover.

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