Biographies - Who's who around the table

Cathie Bruce, distribution and customer services director, Groupama

Cathie Bruce began her career with Endsleigh, where she held a number of roles before becoming area sales manager. In 1993, she joined Marsh as national business development manager and in 1999 was promoted to chief executive of Marsh Liverpool. Cathie joined Fortis as sales and marketing director in 2000 before moving to IPRS, also as sales and marketing director in 2003. In October 2004, Cathie joined Groupama Insurances and in 2006 was promoted to her current role.

Dominic d'Inverno, managing director, London and South east, Primary Broker Servicess

From 2003, Dominic d'Inverno had several roles at NIG where he was area manager in City and London regions, regional manager - London and development manager for the City region. In 2002, he was associate director marketing and compliance at the Riverbourne Group Sales and from 1989 had several sales and development manager roles at Commercial General Norwich Union.

Eric Galbraith, chief executive, British Insurance Brokers' Association

Eric Galbraith's career spans many years in the industry, working with Marsh, Royal Bank of Scotland and Aviva, before joining the British Insurance Brokers' Association in 2003. Galbraith is a Chartered Insurance Practitioner and Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute. His strengths lie in leadership, strategic development and carrying forward both customer and market-facing initiatives.

Mark Grice, insurance partner and head of broking, Mazars

Mark Grice has specialised in the insurance broking sector for 29 years and has significant experience of dealing with the audit and advisory aspects of assignments. He also specialises in providing advice on mergers and acquisitions and dealing with issues relating to regulation. His broking clients include large groups with turnover up to £30m and smaller regional brokers.

Simon McGinn, North and Midlands trading director, Allianz Cornhill Commercial

Simon McGinn joined Allianz Cornhill Commercial in 2004, having previously worked for Norwich Union. He sits on the Allianz Cornhill Commercial management board and has responsibility for managing the small to medium-sized enterprise strategy, branch operations and maintaining broker trading relationships for the division.

Nick Southan, director of marketing and distribution, Software Solutions Partners

Nick Southan has been involved in the marketing of insurance IT solutions for more than 20 years. He was the founding director of KC Partners broker network and his last position prior to setting up his own internet-based venture was as a senior director in CSC retail insurance division. Southan joined SSP's management buy-in team just prior to their acquisition of CSC's retail insurance division in early 2002.

Stephen Wall, managing director, Bollington Group

After obtaining a BA with honours, Stephen Wall joined Bollington in 1995, as a cover note book technician. In 1996, he was instrumental in creating one of the first 'paperless' offices, and rewrote the company's scheme quotation systems.

He joined the board as operations director in 2000, and became joint managing director in 2002. Following a management buy out in January 2003, Wall became chief executive officer of the new company.

Steve Williams, general manager, Fusion

Steve Williams joined Lombard Elizabethan in 1984 as an underwriter, before moving to Independent in 1987, progressing through various sales roles, to branch and regional management, responsible for Independent's southern offices. In 2001, as part of the team that founded Fusion Insurance, he established their Bristol branch, which covers the South and South west of England. In July 2004, Steve was appointed general manager South, responsible for branches in Bristol, Birmingham, St Albans and London.

Kevin Young, chairman and founder, Argyll

Kevin Young left school and began his insurance career at The National Transit Insurance Company (part of Sun Alliance) in 1974. In 1979, he decided to cross the divide and entered insurance management within the industry, taking various roles until he re-entered the mainstream as an associate director with Citicorp Insurance Brokers in 1987. In 1991, he founded Argyll Insurance Brokers and has spent the past 15 years growing this business from a gross written premium of £1.5m to its existing level of £23m. With targets identified, there is more growth to come.