British Insurance Awards 2019: Best of the Best - Broker - Ardonagh Group

Winner: Ardonagh Group

Ardonagh Group is a church of many component parts, some of which have a rich history at the British Insurance Awards.

As such it was no surprise that it was crowned the Best of the Best Broker, recognizing the achievements of these businesses over the years that the British Insurance Awards has been held. 

Ardonagh’s first success at the BIA came when Warren Hill won the Broking Initiative of the Year in 1997

It subsequently made a mark in the Personal Lines Award through Carole Nash in 2003 and 2016; and Swinton in 2005 and 2008.

The group has also shown impressive form in the Training category, winning it twice through Carole Nash in 2003 and Towergate in 2011.

Speaking of personal development, it was interesting to see Joe Thelwell pick up the Commercial Broker of the Year Award in 2019, a decade after he was crowned the Young Achiever of the Year earlier in his Towergate career.

In recent times Ardonagh’s history has very much been about change, which was recognized by its victories in the Transformational Deal of the Year category for its HPS led re-financing 2017 and the creation of Ardonagh in 2018, as a result of a five-way merger of Autonet, Direct Group, Chase Templeton, Price Forbes and Towergate.

Having picked up The Best of the Best Broker Award it will be interesting to see how the business evolves in the future. 

Being awarded ‘Best of the Best’ at the 2019 BIAs has a very special meaning for us. The much-publicised transformation of Towergate, followed by a hugely complex five-way merger to create Ardonagh has meant we have asked so much of our people. Our customers have stood by us. Our insurer partners have continued to work with us, to innovate, to move forward. We are humbled, honoured and immensely proud. Congratulations to Insurance Post for 25 years of the BIAs, which continue to be a pinnacle event in the insurance calendar. Our best wishes to those nominated alongside us in this category; the bedrock of insurance broking. And the biggest congratulations to the 6000 people of Ardonagh. They deserve this.

Ardonagh CEO David Ross