Former Brightside boss Banks behind van specialist launch

The former boss of Brightside Arron Banks has launched a specialist standard and non-standard van insurance broker Footprint Insurance.

Banks - who left Brightside in June 2012 - has brought in former Commercial Vehicle Direct boss Lance Testa to head up the operation as MD.

Testa has set a target of achieving 30,000 policy sales, amounting to some £20m GWP during the first year.

And Ex-Brightside marketing manager and RAC commercial manager Jaimie Hanley will assume the role of marketing director.

Speaking about the venture, Testa said: "Arron has always been the leading visionary in any of the businesses where I worked with him - the one person with a clear ambition for a brand and a huge understanding of the requirements of a successful insurance business.

"Our collective aim is to become preferred broker for insurers, preferred employee for staff and, as a consequence, preferred insurance provider for customers."

Experienced
Testa said that the broker has so far secured some £2m of premium in less than two months "with a relatively soft launch".

He continued: "We've ensured that Footprint is fully equipped with experienced staff and we will work with our insurer partners to put in place whatever protection measures are required, including ID checking, credit scoring, fraud checking and CUE checking which will help us to build a solid and sustainable business model for both ourselves and our valued panel members."

And he added: "The support we have had from insurers so far has been brilliant and the way we repay this is through ongoing distribution and profitable growth for all parties."

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