Articles by Callum Brodie
Questgates snaps up third Merlin adjuster ahead of Scottish market push
Questgates has underlined its Scottish presence by opening an office in Livingston and recruiting former Merlin adjuster Ashley Clancy to bolster its team north of the border.
DLG 'essentially' operating as a standalone business, claims Geddes
Direct Line Group chief executive Paul Geddes believes the business has "essentially achieved its goal" of operating as a standalone company, following the news it has set a return on tangible equity target of 15%.
Open GI appoints regional account manager for south east
Systems provider Open GI has appointed former accident management company boss Matthew Scott to the role of account manager for the south east region.
BMS reinforces global expansion with Sequel technology deal
Specialist broker BMS has moved to support its expanding international presence by appointing Sequel to run its insurance and reinsurance broking systems in the London market, the US and Bermuda.
Knock-on effect of referral fee ban not an issue for Admiral CEO
Admiral chief executive Henry Engelhardt has brushed aside fears that future legislative changes relating to the ban on referral fees could take its toll on his firm's UK balance sheet.
'Phantom fraudsters' receive suspended sentences after IFED investigation
Two men who submitted bogus claims for whiplash to First Central Insurance following a road traffic collision in which they were not even involved have been handed suspended prison sentences.
Carole Nash CEO pleased to defy "tough" 2011 with slight turnover growth
Carole Nash chalked up a modest increase in pre-tax profits to £5.93m last year (FY 2010: £5.86m), as turnover grew by just over £1m to £25.02m.
Brit integration leads to Birmingham office relocation for QBE
QBE has been forced to relocate its Birmingham operation to a larger office as a result of the ongoing integration of the Brit Insurance business.
Kwik Fit helps staff find new roles ahead of Glasgow consolidation
Kwik Fit Financial Services will press ahead with consolidating its insurance business in Glasgow, after revealing that the majority of the 170 employees affected by the closure of its Birmingham office have secured new positions.
Allianz retail boss jumps ship to join First Central as marketing director
First Central bosses have signalled their intention to strengthen the firm’s online offering following the appointment of former Allianz Retail head of direct business Andy James as group marketing director.
American expansion gathers momentum at BMS following key hire
BMS has moved to further bolster its US reinsurance operation following the appointment of Chuck Hewitt to the joint role of senior producer, executive vice president and member of it stateside leadership team.
Fraudster busted after downloading image to exaggerate paper-cut
A would-be fraudster who suffered a paper-cut while at the gym has been cautioned by the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department after downloading an online image of a wound to support a £500 claim.
Howden moves to second stage of energy development with double capture
Howden has outlined the next phase of its energy division development following the appointment of Greg Stenzhorn and Richard Bateman, who join the firm from Aon Benfield and Price Forbes respectively.
Ecclesiastical CEO upbeat despite significant H1 underwriting losses
Ecclesiastical chief executive Michael Tripp has blamed “turbulent times” after his group chalked up a first half underwriting loss of £14.4m (H1 2011 £6m).
Claims management companies come in for regulatory consultation
Verbal contract agreements between claims management companies and consumers could become a thing of the past, following the launch of a consultation process by the Claims Management Regulator.
Brokers told to up game in face of HNW competition
Intermediaries operating in the high net worth arena have been warned they must concentrate on improving their bespoke offering to clients if they are to win out over growing competition in the high-end home insurance market.
Aon boss sponsored by Nexus to ride in notoriously dangerous bike event
Aon associate director John Coleman is revving himself up ahead of the Manx Grand Prix this weekend, after bosses at Nexus Underwriting Management agreed to sponsor him to take part.
Junction hires ex AA ecommerce boss Queen
Junction has appointed the former head of ecommerce at The AA Jamie Queen to the role of associate director on the BGL Group’s affinity arm.
Historical hurricane costs upwards of $10bn in 2012, claim cat experts
Experts have stated that 28 out of almost 180 hurricanes that have occurred in the United States since 1990 would have caused $10bn (£6.3bn) or more in insured losses had they happened today.
Schemes deal sealed between Arc Legal and new OIM Underwriting division
Arc Legal has reached an agreement on two legal expenses schemes with the new division of OIM Underwriting ‘e-Underwriting’ to provide cover as part of its household and property owners portfolios.
Niche broker Campton to tap into Auto Trader site via Wanna Insure deal
Campton Insurance Brokers expects to have access to around 10 000 motorhome quotes per month following a deal with software firm Wanna Insure, which enables integration with Auto Trader’s price comparison website.
Amlin adds experienced non-executive director to its ranks
Amlin has appointed Shonaid Jemmett-Page, former chief operating officer of the UK government's CDC development finance institution, as a non-executive director.
Argent hands ex-Willis manager Scott business development role
Argent, a division of the Parabis Group, has recruited former global vacant property specialists VPS boss Chris Scott to the role of business development director.
Zurich UK records 26% profit dip as COR also deteriorates
Zurich has blamed a volatile market after its UK operation's business operating profit suffered at the hands of summer floods, causing a 26% drop on H1 2011 to £52m.