Fifth manager quits Fusion for Gallagher

One of Fusion’s most senior underwriters has handed Towergate his notice and intends to join Arthur J Gallgher, Insurance Times understands.

Paul Murphy, the head of Fusion’s technical management team, is based in its London office and reviews the managing general agent’s largest cases.

Murphy will be Gallagher’s fifth senior hire from Fusion as it looks to build its underwriting arm.

Within the last two weeks it has hired managing director Nick Wright, underwriting director Stewart Gardiner and regional managing directors Rob Chapman and Nick Milton.

Spokespeople for Towergate and Gallagher declined to comment.

Gallagher international chief executive David Ross has previously spoken about Gallagher’s ambition to establish itself as a market leading underwriting and distribution player worldwide.

The operation will receive a further boost when RSA UK and Western Europe chief executive Adrian Brown joins as executive chairman of underwriting and distribution on 1 September.

Last week Towergate rebranded its bespoke underwriting division as Fusion and combined it with its existing Fusion-branded business. The combined business will have 350 staff and underwriting chief executive Clive Nathan said the changes would give brokers faster access to a better product range.