The tagline for the 2026 Biba conference is ‘Time:To’; in your view what is it “Time: To Do…” over the next 12 months if you are an ambitious insurance broker looking to prosper?
What is your favourite time of the day(s) at the Biba conference and why?
For those first time Biba Conference attendees reading this, what would be your biggest piece/s of advice to help them survive the two-day event?
When it is Time:To visit recharge within walking distance of the conference centre which place [bar, restaurant, coffee shop, cultural space etc…] would you recommend attendees go and why?
Day One of Biba 2026 closes with a fireside chat with Davina McCall MBE. The TV presenter was most recently on our screens as a judge on the Masked Singer; if you were to appear on that show what would your disguise be … and what would you sing?
The closing keynote at Biba 2026 [“Stepping Up To The Wicket: Leadership Under Pressure”] comes from the England cricket captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes. Who from the world of insurance would you describe as the ultimate All-Rounder and why?
Do you have plans for the evening/s at Biba 2026 – if so what are they?
The Biba Conference has become synonymous with Manchester; but if it was Time:To move venue next year where would the dream location be and why?
Come Monday 18 May when you are fully back in ‘day job mode’ and have Time:To reflect, what factors will determine whether you have had a successful Biba 2026 or not?
Feature: Could Intact’s investment in UKGI signal a new era of insurer buys into commercial distribution?
Freelance contact: Saxon East
Contact details: sax@saxoneastmedia.com
Deadline: 17th April
Wordcount: 1,500
The Canadian insurance giant’s minority stake in UKGI Group represented Intact’s first investment in UK distribution.
The business already has other international broking stakes and has implied that UKGI is unlikely to be the last Intact investment in the UK.
Insurer investments in brokers are nothing new, some holdings remain (see box below) but overall the trend in the last decade and longer has been divestments.
The big question is whether Intact’s move represents a one off or start of something wider?
It will look at the drivers behind earlier broker investments; whether the same drivers exist today; and the pros and cons of insurer investment in brokers, looking at the question from both production and distribution perspectives.
With the number of deals down markedly this year, is it an opportune time for insurers to jump back in? And if so, what types of brokers would they look to buy, are they available and what competition would they face from other longstanding buyers?
Background box
It is worth noting that within the Insurance Age top 100 brokers there are already a number of firms that have insurer majority owners namely: Simply Business (Travelers), Somerset Bridge (Arch Capital), Hastings (Sampo) Alan Bluden (AmTrust) and Wesleyan Financial Services (Wesleyan Assurance Society).
There is also Benefact Broking and Advisory, which is owned by Ecclesiastical’s parent company Benefact Group, which sticks out because - like Intact and UKGI - it is more of a regional commercial broking play compared to most of those listed above which fall squarely in the direct SME or personal lines/volume spaces.
Over the years there have been other insurers that have bought into regional commercial distribution from NFU Mutual (Country Mutual Insurance Brokers sold to Towergate in 2006), Groupama (Bollington and Lark which completed management buyouts before being sold to Gallagher and Howden) and Axa (Bluefin, an amalgamation of brokers such as Layton Blackham, Smart & Cook and Stuart Alexander, which was sold to Marsh).
MS Amlin acquired a minority shareholding in Miles Smith in 2008 (selling up as part of the acquisition by private equity house Pollen Street in 2018).
Feature: Is employee benefits the new essential diversification frontier GI broker s cannot ignore?
amii, the self-proclaimed voice of intermediaries and insurer members promoting and advising on health insurance, protection and wellbeing services, has welcomed three new members that might traditionally be seen as more your typical Biba brokers.
Jensten Insurance Brokers (12th January), Lloyd & Whyte Health & Wellbeing (28th January) and Clear Employee Benefits (5th February) have all joined amii in 2026.
Robin Thomson, managing director at Jensten Insurance Brokers, said: “We’re really pleased to have joined amii and are looking forward to tapping into their support and industry insights and connecting with others in the space.”
Jo Tressler, director at Clear Employee Benefits, added: “As the Clear Group continues to grow, we are excited to join amii to further our commitment to the highest levels of advice for our clients.”
With this in mind Insurance Age intends to survey the broking space to find out how and why general intermediaries are branching out and capitalising on new and cross opportunities in the employee benefits market.
The article intends to speak to those who have stepped into the employee benefits sector to ask them about successes and lessons learned; and ask what brokers might be missing by not pursuing growth in this area.
Finally, it will look at what brokers should consider before diversifying; the drivers for success, the potential pitfalls, and ask if the current interest in this market among traditional GI intermediaries is a short term blip or a longer term trend – and what external factors might be driving the interest?
