BIA Countdown: Top of the league: the most successful firms at the British Insurance Awards

However, this proved to be a difficult and time-consuming task given the amount of merger and acquisition activity that has gone on since the first BIA event on the 3 July 1995.

As such, Post has tried to reflect these deals as much as possible, although lines get blurred when businesses no longer exist or have been split up, such
as Groupama.

The broker businesses it once owned, such as Bollington, are now independent; its health arm was sold to Simply Health; and the core insurance book sold to Ageas. All three are represented in the following tables.

Other examples include the likes of the Allianz and RSA’s life businesses, whose scores are actually included in the points totals of the groups that now own them – in this case The Phoenix Group; and Cigna’s property and casualty business, which is now owned by Ace.

Another interesting case is the former RSA health & assistance business, which was spun out as First Assist and then split in sales to Standard Life Healthcare (now Prudential) and Cigna. As its three nominations predate the divide, its shortlistings count double.

There are plenty of other examples and – just for the record – we have included the Direct Line Group’s Tracker business’ scores for now, even though the company is in “advanced talks” to sell the subsidiary.

When the scores were totted up, RSA Group was the clear winner, both in terms of wins and points. For those of you interested, five of the wins date back to the pre-merger days of Royal (three wins) and Sun Alliance (two).

The next four most successful insurance groups (Aviva, Zurich, Axa and Ageas) are a lot closer, with 10 points dividing them.

But the picture would be very different if we added the scores of the broker businesses these four firms either once owned (such as Aviva’s Hill House Hammond/Premium Search) or do now (like Zurich and Endsleigh). In this scenario, Ageas would claim second spot overall with a combined 93 points (and five more wins), Aviva third on 85 (with three more wins) and Axa fourth with 83 points (and three more wins).

Away from the insurers, a number of loss adjusters and brokers have notched up some serious points totals too, with Cunningham Lindsey’s 56 points making them the sixth most successful firm in the history of the BIA; and Aon with 50 points the joint seventh.

Finally, we have included the totals of firms that no longer exist, such as Independent Insurance and Merlin Claims. Thankfully there were not too many other examples of businesses that suffered similar troubles among the nominees and winners.

Most successful BIA broking groups in the first 19 years
including component brands whose scores were incorporated

Most successful BIA loss adjusting groups in the first 19 years
including component brands whose scores were incorporated

Most successful BIA insurance groups in the first 19 years: Part one
including component brands whose scores were incorporated 

Most successful BIA insurance groups in the first 19 years: Part two
including component brands whose scores were incorporated

This article was published in the 30 January edition of Post magazine