Towergate restructures underwriting division ahead of Arista buy

Towergate has reorganised its underwriting division to support its division into two business models – Volume and Bespoke Underwriting – and created several new managerial positions.

Last year the broker announced that it was dividing its underwriting arm into the two units, rather than its old division between personal and commercial lines underwriting, and named David Bruce chief executive of Bespoke Underwriting.

It has set up regional trading units and specialist centres for Bespoke Underwriting, which it said would improve consistency and efficiency, and maximise its sales efforts. The trading teams will be managed through three regions and report to Bruce.  

To support the new structure, Towergate has named Fusion managing director Nick Wright as sales and marketing director of Bespoke Underwriting, and its underwriting director Stewart Gardiner as Bespoke Underwriting director. It has also created a new role of operations director, currently vacant.

The Fusion brand remains part of Towergate Underwriting and is part of its Bespoke unit, the broker said.

It has also reorganised its Volume Underwriting team. Nel Mooy, managing director of Volume commercial, has been named operations director for Volume Underwriting is and charged with improving operational efficiency and effectiveness. Simon Lewer, currently managing director of household will become trading director for Volume Underwriting, a role that focuses on selling large deals.  

Underwriting chief executive Clive Nathan said: “Our broker customers who deal in larger cases have told us that they want regional offices where more complex business can be traded on an individual basis. This is our Bespoke business.

“Those brokers who deal in larger volumes want efficient and largely e-enabled processes that give their customers the service they demand. That is how our Volume businesses will operate.”

Meanwhile, Jon Cawley has been named head of claims at Towergate Underwriting. Cawley was UK claims director and head at Zurich until December.

It is understood that Towergate is buying managing general agent Arista.