Arthur J Gallagher hires Fairhurst to head Manchester office

Arthur J Gallagher (AJG) has appointed Paul Fairhurst to head up its Manchester retail operations.

Fairhurst will lead the integration of the Manchester offices of Gallagher Heath and Giles, which AJG bought last month.

He will also focus on organic growth and acquisitions in the area, and will oversee a team of 50 when he takes up the role in April.

Fairhurst was most recently regional managing director for the northern region for Marsh, responsible for mid-corporate clients.

UK retail chief executive Brendan McManus said: “Paul is a fantastic hire for AJG. To have someone of his calibre at the helm of our expanded Manchester operation, with such extensive knowledge and experience in the major corporate client sector, means we can be sure of matching the scale of our ambitions with hard results. I can’t think of anyone better to take our business to the next level.”

Fairhurst was with Marsh for seven years. Before that, he held several positions at Willis, including branch director in Manchester.

He said: “The opportunity to bring together the inherent strengths of the Gallagher Heath and Giles teams in Manchester to create a new broking powerhouse in the region as Arthur J Gallagher was one I wasn’t prepared to miss. The entrepreneurial nature and appetite for expansion make Gallagher a genuinely exciting firm to become part of.”