Gallagher hires former Barbon FD as UK retail finance director

Gallagher has hired former Barbon financial head Kevin Withington as the finance director of its UK retail arm.

Barbon announced back in December that Withington was leaving the company at the start of the year. He joined Arthur J Gallagher on 3 March.

Withington’s hire is unrelated to Gallagher’s acquisition of Barbon’s property and commercial business in May 2013.

The acquisition has left Barbon to concentrate on its lettings insurance business.

At the time of his exit from Barbon, Withington opted for redundancy rather than move to the Lincoln office, after it emerged the broker was closing its Croydon branch and relocating its legal, claims, human resources and finance teams.

Oval chief executive Peter Blanc has also been appointed as Gallagher’s head of UK retail following the acquisition of Oval for £199m. The broker’s 24 offices and 1,000 employees will form part of Gallagher’s UK retail division.