Voices
Pen Underwriting CEO eyes more M&A to get closer to £1bn GWP target
Pen Underwriting CEO Tom Downey claims the business is on track to hit its £1bn GWP target within three years - and that it will reach it by both diversifying and building on what it has already got.
Spring Insure looks to court brokers in UK professional indemnity launch
Managing general agent Spring Insure has launched a commercial professional indemnity product in the UK and Ireland with backing from a new capacity provider.
Analysis: The powerful surge in record-breaking tradesman premiums
Insurance Age unpacks the impact of inflation, changing customer needs and rising demand along with the shifting insurer appetite in tradesman insurance.
Policy Expert focuses on customer retention as top priority
Policy Expert’s COO Adam Powell has stressed that customer retention is its top priority in 2023, as it continues to focus on its organic growth.
Burns & Wilcox looks towards M&As, recruitment and online SMEs to bolster growth
The managing general agent and underwriting business has plans to expand its team, and is open to mergers and acquisitions as a tool for growth during 2023.
Axa hails importance of face-to-face meetings as it seeks to be more visible
Distribution and trading director Sarah Mallaby claims Axa UK has seen an improvement in broker engagement, as it focuses on face-to-face trading complemented by an investment in digital products and support.
Profile: Abby Houghton – Young female broker
As part of Insurance Age's Broker Diversity Push - Gender Leadership Gap campaign, Sophie Locke-Cooper spoke with Brightside Insurance Services’ Abby Houghton about what it is like being a young female in the industry.
RSA’s Mooney stresses ‘we have got a lot of work to do’ for better service
RSA’s managing director of UK commercial, Lee Mooney, has vowed to institutionalise a consistent service that shows appetite, ongoing ambition to grow and desire to be there for customers as the insurer targets adding 200 broker relationships on top of…
Aviva’s Winslow insists ‘we can do more’ to return broker service to pre-2019 levels
With rates continuing to rise, Adam Winslow, CEO of Aviva UK & Ireland general insurance has stressed that it can do more when helping brokers through the challenging market.
Profile: Katie Baker - Women in C-suite
Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, chief operating officer at My First, Katie Baker, shares her route to the top, and the importance of vocal role models.
MGAA edges closer to membership milestone
The Managing General Agents’ Association’s CEO Mike Keating has revealed that the trade body is close to surpassing 200 full members in the next couple of months.
Are brokers bucking the trend of insurtech investment struggles?
According to a new Gallagher Re report, global insurtech investment fell in the fourth quarter of 2022 to its lowest level since the third quarter of 2020. Sophie Locke-Cooper details why some may be struggling even if there are signs of hope among…
Brokers must priortise staff engagement as the 'great resignation' continues to bite in 2023
Brokers have stressed the need to keep staff engaged as resignations and recruitment struggles don't look to be going away any time soon. Sophie Locke-Cooper details how the post-pandemic period of reflection is still being felt today.
Sicsic Advisory urges treatment of vulnerable customers should be top priority
Associate director at Sicsic Advisory, Sue Mallender, has stressed that the treatment of vulnerable customers is seen by the Financial Conduct Authority as an integral part of how businesses should operate.
CII chief optimistic of PFS resolution despite 'painful' times
The Chartered Insurance Institute’s CEO, Alan Vallance, has stressed that it was in the best interest of the Personal Finance Society members to appoint extra directors despite it being a painful choice, in his latest response to the PFS's consultation.
Start-up The Yorkshire Broker targets SME
A new commercial insurance broker, The Yorkshire Broker, which is set to launch officially in the SME market in February has shared its frustration over the Financial Conduct Authority’s lengthy application process.
Atec leader sets out doubling target
Atec, parent company for Ceta Insurance and Arkel, has plans to more than double its business through organic growth in niche insurance lines over the next five years and will continue to pursue strategic acquisitions.
Society of Insurance Broking chair looks to Biba to improve engagement
The new chair of the Society of Insurance Broking, Laura Hancock, has told Insurance Age that this year’s focus will be on raising professional standards in broking and talent recruitment.
Is it a golden age for broker start-ups, despite rising costs?
The CEO of Brokerring, Stuart Randall, recently told delegates at Broker Expo 2022 it can cost £250,000 to start-up a brokerage. Sophie Locke-Cooper explores why it is now so expensive - and whether it is proving detrimental to those seeking to go alone.
Daines Kapp's George Worby first to complete Allianz's broker apprenticeship
Allianz has revealed its first success story in its broker apprenticeship programme which it believes could help tackle the recruitment crisis.
RSA can no longer 'hide behind the screen' to engage brokers - Catherine Frost
Stakeholder engagement with brokers is a priority for increased visibility, according to RSA regional managing director Catherine Frost.
Chaucer launches new ESG ‘scorecard’
Chaucer has rolled out an initiative to measure the environmental, social and governance performance of clients and business partners.
Increase in scamming methods as ransomware frequency decreases- CFC’s Lindsay Nelson
Cyber development leader at CFC Underwriting, Lindsey Nelson, has warned the insurance industry not to ignore other ways of scamming as ransomware decreases in frequency yet still dominates the headlines.
A system to categorise cyber incidents in the pipeline - CFC head Burns
At the CFC Cyber Forum yesterday, James Burns, head of cyber at CFC, revealed plans to categorise cyber incidents, just like weather events, to determine the impact of each incident and to help insurers and brokers regulate the severity of subsequent…