John Kitson leaves Towergate consulting role as two more depart

Ex-Aviva director John Kitson left his role as marketing and communications consultant at Towergate this week, Insurance Times can reveal.

The broking group’s chief information officer Jill Lucas is also leaving at the end of September.

In addition, interim human resources director Carole Jones has now left Towergate and has been replaced by another interim HR director, Steve Pratt.

Kitson exit

Kitson was on a six-month consulting contract with Towergate, which came to an end. He started providing marketing and communications support to Towergate in February this year.

Insurance Times understands he will return to Norwich to fish and run the gallery he set up with his partner.

He has worked as a consultant since leaving his role as Aviva’s UK general insurance sales and marketing director in March 2010.

He had previously worked on a branding, marketing and sales project for Arthur J Gallagher in 2013.

Lucas replacement

Chief information officer Lucas’s departure was announced internally by chief financial and operating officer Mark Mugge this week.

Gordon Walters has joined Towergate as group chief information officer on a secondment basis from consulting firm Deloitte.

Lucas and Walters will work closely together until Lucas’s departure at the end of September.

Towergate changes

The moves come as Towergate continues to rebuild and restructure following its takeover by bondholders and refinancing in April this year.

The broking group has just made a raft of hires to its London market broking team.

Janice Deakin joined the company as broking director on 12 August.

Current interim chief executive Scott Egan announced in July that he will be leaving to become RSA’s new group chief financial officer.

Former Arthur J Gallagher International chief executive David Ross is expected to take over as permanent chief executive in early 2016.

Adrian Brown, one-time RSA UK and Western Europe chief executive and former Gallagher International executive chairman of underwriting and distribution, will also join in early 2016.