The brave face of a broker-only insurer
After masterminding some sizeable deals in the last 12 months, Barry Smith, chief executive of Fortis, is certainly making his mark on the company. But, after taking a hit from the onslaught of direct motor insurers earlier this year, he talks to Richard Adams about his response and the battle to help brokers deliver quality in a volume-driven world
First impressions of Barry Smith communicate a lot about the way he runs Fortis' UK arm of the Benelux insurer. The tie-shunning chief executive's relaxed manner sets the tone from the top down at 'family Fortis'. Even in the face of the most adamant scepticism, Smith would be found to be inescapably personable. But behind the affable, easy-going exterior, Smith is absolutely on a mission to build greatly on his company's steady heritage as a broker-only motor insurer - a fact illustrated partly
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