Interviews

• Deakin and Kitson - Playing the efficiency game
  1 Jul 2008
  Andrew Tjaardstra meets two key players for Norwich Union in the broker market. John Kitson and Janice Deakin have been at the epicentre of the changes in broking over the last three years and, despite more responsibility across the group, they are determined to remain as close to brokers as possible
• Adrian Colosso - Retail futures
  1 Jun 2008
  Adrian Colosso, chief executive of Heath Lambert, speaks to Andrew Tjaardstra about the nearly-deal with Jardine Lloyd Thompson, banning commissions and where he sees the potential for growth in his diverse broking and advisory business
• Taylor and Lopian - Independent thinking
  1 May 2008
  Andrew Tjaardstra meets Simon Taylor and Danny Lopian, the partners behind one of the few remaining Manchester brokers that is determined to grow independently rather than sell
• Lyndon Wood - King of his castle
  1 Apr 2008
  Lyndon Wood, chairman of Caerphilly-based Moorhouse Group, is embarking on a hyper-growth strategy that is set to double his book by the end of the year. Andrew Tjaardstra meets a man focused on organic growth and speeding up insurers
• Neil Walton - Fast learner
  1 Mar 2008
  Neil Walton was always a good broker and then a business opportunity accelerated his career. He gives Andrew Tjaardstra the lowdown on his firm's management buyouts and the view from the top
• Martin Hudson - Under my umbrella
  1 Feb 2008
  Martin Hudson speaks to Andrew Tjaardstra about leading Travelers' rebrand, managing broker relations and staff culture
• Brendan McManus
  The new Lime minister
  1 Jan 2008
  Brendan McManus joined Willis last year from Royal and SunAlliance. He speaks to Andrew Tjaardstra about leadership at one of the world's largest brokers
• Alec Finch and Jaques Verlingue
  Entente cordiale
  1 Dec 2007
  Andrew Tjaardstra talks to Alec Finch and Jacques Verlingue in Prague to find out why they think they can work together to create a pan-European broker with a little help from its worldwide connections
• Pierre Lefevre
  Convergence specialist
  1 Nov 2007
  Andrew Tjaardstra meets Pierre Lefevre, former chief executive and chairman of Groupama Insurances, to find out how he intends his company's considerable investments in brokers to make a return for the French-owned insurer
• Peter Blanc
  Blanc endorsement
  1 Oct 2007
  Andrew Tjaardstra meets Peter Blanc, managing director of FMW Insurance and Risk Services, and finds out how small companies focusing on niche areas can be a recipe for success in both soft and hard markets
• Steve Burrows
  Charming the market
  1 Sep 2007
  Following Cobra's flotation, Andrew Tjaardstra meets Steve Burrows, Cobra's chief executive, to find out how he plans to raise the firm's profile and grow the broker to prove some institutional investors wrong
• Chris Hanks
  A corporate animal
  1 Aug 2007
  Chris Hanks has been guiding the UK commercial arm of Europe's largest insurer through rapid changes in the broking market. Hanks tells Andrew Tjaardstra how he sees small to medium-sized enterprise insurance evolving
• Paul Samways
  In defence of independence
  1 Jul 2007
  Kerry London has crept into the top five independent UK brokers and plans to stay on the front foot as acquisitions in the industry heat up. Paul Samways talks with Andrew Tjaardstra to discuss the past, present and future of this ever-growing independent
• Paul Meehan, Stuart Reid and Chris Blackham
  Sell outs or saviours?
  1 Jun 2007
  Axa's splash into commercial broking has sent tidal waves through the industry and heralded the emergence of an insurer-owned consolidator. Richard Adams met Paul Meehan, Chris Blackham and Stuart Reid to talk strategy and ask if they have sold out UK broking in the process
• Guy Munnoch and David Smith
  Fathers of reinvention
  1 May 2007
  Following Zurich's restructure at the end of 2006, Andrew Tjaardstra meets Guy Munnoch who replaced Ian Stuart as chief executive of Zurich general insurance, and David Smith, the insurer's key broker relationship 'point man'
• Peter Hubbard
  Innovate to accumulate
  1 Apr 2007
  After some major firefighting, Axa chief executive Peter Hubbard is contemplating "bold and innovative" moves to achieve its 2012 ambitions. Richard Adams talked to him about going direct, broker acquisitions and asked when he is going to fix Axa's broker service
• Joe Henderson
  Organic chemistry
  1 Mar 2007
  In a rare interview, Joe Henderson tells Andrew Tjaardstra about his wariness of the consolidator model and his plans to double the size of his business, primarily organically
• Chris Giles
  Not that clever?
  1 Feb 2007
  Giles CEO Chris Giles met Richard Adams to talk about Giles Underwriting and, ahead of Axa's latest acquisition of two rival brokers, displays a keen insight into how the insurer-owned distribution model will feature in the future
• Stephen Wall and Paul Moors
  As bold as Bollington
  1 Jan 2007
  With another busy year under Bollington's belt 2007 promises further growth in all directions. Richard Adams met Paul Moors and Stephen Wall to discuss the accolade accumulating outfits £250m GWP target, its regional office expansion and planting the Bollington name abroad
• Peter Cullum and Andy Homer
  The road less travelled
  1 Dec 2006
  The rise of Towergate and its rewriting the rule book along the way has been questioned relentlessly by the market and by none more so than provincial brokers. Group chief executive Andy Homer and executive chairman Peter Cullum took the opportunity to meet Richard Adams to answer the critics
• Commission debate
  1 Dec 2006
  Where do you stand on hard disclosure and would it alter your practices if it was introduced?
• Alway at the Southern summit
  1 Nov 2006
  Andrew Tjaardstra travelled to Yate, near Bristol, to meet Alex Alway, group chief executive of the Jelf Group, who has been the architect of Jelf's strategy for the past five years, and is now causing ripples in the City
• Patrick Smith
  King of the high street
  1 Oct 2006
  Andrew Tjaardstra recently caught up with Swinton chief Patrick Smith and discovered why, following the recent acquisition of Budget Retail, he believes the high-street model has a bright future
• Phillip Hodson - In the Oval office
  1 Sep 2006
  Phillip Hodson is aiming to acquire his way to a £1bn gross written premium national financial services firm. Andrew Tjaardstra met him at Oval's London office to find out if he is on track and what his end game strategy is
• David Slade
  Perky Slade's last stand
  1 Aug 2006
  David Slade is planning his exit - but not before growing his firm by 50% within three years. He is still going strong at 62 and his ambition is greater than ever. Andrew Tjaardstra visited one of the biggest personalities in broking at his Birmingham offices
• Neil Utley
  Appetite for acquisition
  1 Jul 2006
  Neil Utley, chief executive of Equity Insurance Group, talks to Andrew Tjaardstra about his acquisition of Lloyd's vehicle Cox, how he now wants to buy another insurer and why he is mulling leaving Lloyd's to do so
• Towering d'Inverno
  1 Jun 2006
  As a credible alternative source of capacity, PBS is shaping up. Richard Adams talks to its London head Dominic d'Inverno
• Franaois-Xavier Boisseau
  French connection
  1 May 2006
  Franaois-Xavier Boisseau, managing director of Groupama Insurances, the UK arm of £8bn French insurer Groupama, had a great 2005, as the firm doubled its profits. Andrew Tjaardstra finds out how he turned the company around and about his plans for the future
• Mark Hodges
  Heir aspirant
  1 Apr 2006
  Recently appointed as managing director of Norwich Union general insurance, Mark Hodges has yet to make his mark on the company. Richard Adams finds out what he has in mind
• Grant Ellis
  Well connected
  1 Mar 2006
  Just over a decade ago, Grant Ellis set out on his own with a new idea: a broker network. Now his company links 155 firms and has moved into Lloyd's. Richard Adams met him
• Tony Cornell
  Vantage points
  1 Feb 2006
  Tony Cornell has worked in insurance for 47 years. There is not much he hasn't seen and little about which he is reticent to say. Richard Adams found him in fine form
• Mark Boon
  No more heroes
  1 Jan 2006
  While many brokers try to accommodate the many changes they currently face, Mark Boon - managing director of La Playa - explains why his firm is unburdened by many of the issues facing brokers today
• Stephen Bland - Regulatory reservations
  1 Dec 2005
  Ahead of the Financial Services Authority announcing its priorities in January, Stephen Bland, director of the retail firms division, talks to Andrew Tjaardstra about this and airs his concerns following Arrow visits
• Dane Douetil
  Hereditary player
  1 Dec 2005
  Nearing the end of his first year as chief executive officer of Brit Insurance Holdings, Dane Douetil talks to Richard Adams about the firm's push into the provinces, the impending hard market and why insurance broking is in his blood
• Andy Haste
  Reinvention tension
  1 Nov 2005
  In a rare appearance before the trade press, Andy Haste, group chief executive of Royal & SunAlliance, emerged after a period of intense effort to explain why he is now hopeful that the financial markets will recognise that RSA has finally turned the corner. Richard Adams reports
• Sian Fisher
  The third degree
  1 Nov 2005
  With an LLB from Oxford and an MBA from Harvard, Sian Fisher offers Richard Adams her unique perspective on the industry and why her time out has qualified her view that it is one best changed from within - by degrees
• The brave face of a broker-only insurer
  1 Oct 2005
  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
• Peter Beddis
  The evolution game
  1 Sep 2005
  Following the acquisition of Beddis & Partners by Oval last year, chief executive Peter Beddis' fear that his firm could lose its identity has given way to enjoying targeting larger acquisitions than his firm could have made by itself. He talks to Alex Broad about the redefinition of his role
• Kevin Young
  Back in the ring
  1 Aug 2005
  Being short-listed for Commercial Broker of the Year at the recent British Insurance Awards says something about where Kevin Young, chairman and founder of Argyll is taking his firm. And, after a temporary absence from the acquisition arena, he is now back with the intention of doubling Argyll's size. Richard Adams reports
• Ian Richens
  Approaching the apex
  1 Jul 2005
  On the eve of making an acquisition - while in the process of he and his firm being acquired - Ian Richens, chairman of FM Green, emerges from an administrative nightmare to find himself in an enviable position. He talks to Richard Adams about this, why regulation has unlevelled the playing field and brokers' need for a scapegoat

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