Insurer’s new team has written more new business in six weeks than the old team had all year

Allianz has hit back in Newcastle after its entire sales team was poached by AXA, and has said it has written more new business in the last six weeks than it had done all year.

Internal promotions have replaced four of the five roles vacated when the team headed by branch manager Les Archibold left on 1 April.

Commercial broker markets director Andrew Broughton told Insurance Times: “We’re back and trading again. We have a couple of roles to fill but we have written more new business in the last six weeks than we had between January and June. Things are moving very, very, nicely,”

The new line up comprises branch manager Mike Gill, senior property and casualty underwriter Matt Rundle, senior fleet underwriter Chris Falcon and fleet underwriter Connor Monson. Allianz is also looking to hire another underwriter who already works in the North East and a business development manager.

“The fact we put three of our most senior guys into that area probably gives an indication of how committed Allianz is to Newcastle,” Broughton added.

Broughton said the new team had given Allianz a fresh start in Newcastle.

“We had a limited trading presence in the North East and our last team hadn’t really managed to change the dynamic. We’ve put in some heavy hitters and we’re seeing very good results,” he said.

The branch had also written two cases “worth over six figures”, compared to none in the year to June, Broughton added.

In addition to winning new business, Broughton said Allianz’ retention rate in the North East had improved by a couple of points.

Asked if any brokers had moved their business to AXA, Broughton said: “I know we lost one case. There was another case that was due to be lost to the same broker but the senior management of that broker intervened and we were secured that case. We’ve had an assurance from that broker that there’ll be no more than that.

“For the large national brokers the strategic relationships are much more important in the national sense than local relationships.”

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