15 FORTIS
Address:
Fortis House
Tollgate
Eastleigh
Hampshire SO53 3YA
t: 023 8064 4455
f:023 8064 1146
e: natalie.taylor@fortis.com
w: www.fortisinsurance.co.uk
Chief officer: Barry Smith, chief executive
Year established: 1939
Number of UK offices: 2
Number of UK employees: 1,227
Number of UK general insurance agents: 5,000
Main lines of business: Personal lines: private car, household (buildings and contents), travel, caravan and camping. Commercial lines: small commercial vehicle, Commercial packages (including leisure, care home, property owners, manufacturers, distributors, office and surgery, commercial choice, shopkeepers and home workers) and Semploy (a self employed liability product).
Company history: Fortis Insurance Ltd in the UK is part of the Fortis group, an international leader in the fields of insurance, banking, investment and bancassurance.
Rated Api by Standard & Poor's, Fortis Insurance remains focused on underwriting excellence, expense control and investment for consistent and sustained profitable growth, demonstrated by the company's achievement of better than market growth while maintaining profitable operating ratios. Fortis Insurance is totally committed to the intermediated market and has a proven track record for providing outstanding customer service.
With two offices in Hampshire and Gloucestershire, Fortis Insurance operates its own in-house 24-hour claims services including Assistance International, a medical emergency service for overseas travellers.
Chief officer Biography: Barry Smith took on the role of chief executive for Fortis Insurance in November 2001.
Barry has a BA (Hons) degree in Business Studies, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing. Barry is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB) and a member of the Institute of Marketing (MCIM).
Barry is chairman of the ABI Motor Com- mittee, a member of the ABI GIC Management Committee, chairman of the ABI Greenaway Review into uninsured driving and also past president of CII in Southampton.
Other key personnel: Julian Harvey, chief financial officer; Shaun Astley, operations director; Paul Chaplain, underwriting director, Chris Dobson, distribution and development director; Rob Smale, claims director; Jeff Grosvenor, IT director; Lyn Nicholls, HR director; Matthew Thomas, head of strategy and planning.
16 CI-OPERATAIVE INSURANCE SOCIETY
Address:
Miller Street
Manchester
M60 0AL
t: 0161 832 8686
f: 0161 837 4048
e: cis@cis.co.uk
w: www.cis.co.uk
Main lines of business: General insurance; life assurance; savings
Number of UK offices: 18
Number of UK employees: 8,791
Company history: The movement began in Rochdale in 1844. As the idea developed and more societies opened shops, it became clear that their insurance arrangements were inadequate, and an insurance company was formed.
The Co-operative Insurance Company was registered on 29 August 1867. In 1869, the company expanded its business into fidelity guarantee insurance.
In July 1871, the head office moved from its premises in Rochdale to Manchester, where it has remained ever since.
Until the mid 1880s, the company offered only fire and fidelity guarantee insurance, but in February 1886 it began issuing life policies. In 1899, industrial life business was also introduced and the company was converted into an industrial and provident society. The amended rules were registered on 11 March and since then the company has been called the Co-operative Insurance Society.
Other classes of business were provided for the general public and not just for co-operative societies and their members.
By 1908, a new head office had been built at 109 Corporation Street, Manchester. By 1912 there were offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bradford, Newcastle, London and Dublin. In 1909 the society became a non-tariff insurer.
In June 1913, the shares of the society were taken over by the Co-operative Wholesale Society and the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society. Today CWS and its directors are still the society's only shareholders.
A separate motor department was opened during the 1920s and, by 1930, motor income exceeded £500,000 per annum.
In August 1962 a new building was opened at Miller Street to house the growing number of staff, not more than 100 yards from the society's old office. This imposing building now houses approximately 2,500 staff.
17 LLOYDS TSB GROUP
UK address:
Lloyds TSB General Insurance
Tredegar Park
Newport
Gwent
NP10 8SB
t: 01633 810666
w: www.lloydstsb.com
Chief officer: Phil Loney, Managing Director, Lloyds TSB General Insurance
Major shareholders: The ultimate parent company is Lloyds TSB Group
Number of UK offices: 4
Number of UK employees: 1,800
Main lines of business: Home; motor; travel; pet; creditor and business insurance.
Company history: Established in 1995, Lloyds TSB General Insurance provides general insurance through the retail branches of Lloyds TSB Bank and Cheltenham & Gloucester, and through a direct telephone operation and the internet. Lloyds TSB General Insurance is one of the leading distributors of household insurance in the UK.
Lloyds TSB Insurance also owns Screentrade (www.screentrade.co.uk), the longest established online broker of general insurance.
Chief officer biography: Phil Loney originally joined Lloyds Bank in June 1986 as a graduate trainee. He went on to hold several management positions within the life and pensions division of the group and in 1991 was appointed director of Lloyds Bank Insurance Direct, responsible for the start-up of the direct insurance operation in Bournemouth.
In 1995 he left Lloyds Bank to gain wider commercial experience and held a number of senior executive positions within the financial services sector, including sales and marketing director at Saga Services, managing director - direct business at CGU Insurance, and chief operations officer at AXA Life.
He was appointed managing director of Lloyds TSB Insurance on 1 September 2003.
Loney is married with two young daughters and lives in Bristol. He is a keen Chelsea supporter and a youth worker at his local church.
18 FM GLOBAL GROUP
Address:
1 Windsor Dials
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 1RS
t: 01753 750 000
f: 01753 863 700
w: www.fmglobal.com
Chief officer: Ken Davey, managing director
Major shareholders: FM Global is a mutual company
Number of UK offices: 3
Number of UK employees: 285
Main lines of business: Commercial and industrial property insurance
Company history: For nearly 170 years, FM Global has been helping its clients to better understand the nature of their risks and develop sound property loss prevention solutions that can effectively improve their risk profile.
FM Global was established in the UK in 1963 and its Windsor offices are the headquarters for all of FM Global's business in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
It provides insurance and risk management services to many of the world's leading organisations.
FM Global does business in more than 100 countries through its WorldReach capability and was named European Business Insurer of the Year in both 2004 and 2005.
FM Global received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2004.
Chief officer Biography: Ken Davey is senior vice president - managing director, international division, at FM Global. He is based in the company's international division headquarters in Windsor, UK.
Davey has held his position since July 1999, when Arkwright Mutual Insurance merged with sister companies Allendale Insurance and Protection Mutual to form FM Global.
19 LEGAL & GENERAL
Address:
Legal & General Insurance
Temple Court
11 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4N 4TP
t: 020 7528 6200
e: enquiries@landg.com
w: www.legalandgeneral.com
Chief officer: Jane Dale, managing director, Legal & General Insurance
Year established: 1920 (for general insurance)
Number of UK offices: Approx 10 general insurance offices
Number of UK employees: Over 850 across Legal & General Insurance
Number of UK general insurance agents: Approx 8,300
Major shareholders: Legal & General Insurance is part of Legal & General Group. Approx 68.3% of shareholders are individuals
Main lines of business: Personal lines - buildings; contents insurance; travel; mortgage payment protection; motor; private medical insurance
Company history: Legal & General Assurance Society was formed by six members of the legal profession in 1836 and started to offer general insurance after the First World War in 1920.
Legal & General Group was established in 1979.
In 1995, Legal & General was the first insurance company to launch a website.
Legal & General now sells its products through a range of distribution channels, including intermediaries, IFAs, direct, business partners and strategic alliances.
Chief officer Biography: Jane Dale graduated from Bristol University in 1982 with a degree in economics and politics and joined Ernst & Young, where she qualified as a chartered accountant in 1985.
After a period of management consultancy Dale joined Legal & General in 1989 and held a variety of financial roles until 1997 when she was appointed director of group risk.
Dale was appointed managing director for Legal & General Insurance in July 2005.
Her objectives are to formulate and implement strategies that enable Legal & General's general insurance and healthcare business to achieve agreed sales and profit targets.
Dale will continue to develop and distribute market-leading products and maintain a continuously improving service operation for Legal & General Insurance and healthcare business.
Other key personnel: Peter Richmond, business development director; Andrew Dawson, operations director; Paul Ballinger, GI broker development director; Steve Bryan, head of partner development - IFAs and appointed representatives; Tom Thomson, corporate accounts director - banks, building societies and affinities; Mike Lawler, finance director; Paul Edmonds, actuarial director; Chris Rolland, healthcare director.
20 BRITISH INSURANCE HOLDINGS
UK address:
55 Bishopsgate
London
EC2N 3AS
t: 020 7984 8500
f: 020 7984 8501
e: enquiries@britinsurance.com
w: www.britinsurance.com
Chief officer: Dane Jonathan Douetil, group chief executive
Major shareholders (at 31.07.05):
Invesco - 19.45%
Fidelity Investments - 7.36%
Jupiter Asset Management - 6.73%
Third Avenue - 6.49%
Schroder Inv. Management - 5.37%
F&C Asset Management - 4.33%
Legal & General Investment Management - 3.59%
Liontrust Asset Management - 3.28%
TOTAL PERCENTAGE - 56.60%
Number of UK offices: 9
Number of UK employees: 567
Main lines of business: London market: accident and financial; aerospace; casualty; marine; property.
Reinsurance: property; marine; casualty; aviation; cat retro and other.
UK underwriting: property; casualty - employers' and public liability, casualty - liability; motor; package and other.
Company history: Brit was launched as a new investment trust in November 1995 in order to acquire insurance investment trusts trading at substantial discounts to NTA at that time. It was involved in various corporate activity leading up to 1999.
In 1999 Brit made two acquisitions of trading insurance entities. This was effectively the beginning of the new Brit. The company de-listed as an investment trust and relisted as an insurance holding group. It had shareholders' funds of £254m at 31 December 1999. The company's subsequent three years were exceptionally difficult due to adverse underwriting conditions culminating in the shocking events of 2001. It did however continue to build its corporate presence with the support of its major shareholders.
In late 2001 it raised £154m. In 2002 it raised a further £204m through a placing and open offer. This enabled it to increase underwriting capacity for 2003 and to take advantage of market conditions. In 2003 Brit acquired PRI group, providing additional capital of £120m.
For the year ended 31 December 2004, gross written premium totalled £1.086bn and profit before tax was £102.5m. Shareholder funds as at 31 December 2004 were £710m.
Chief officer Biography: Dane Douetil graduated in 1982 from Birmingham University with an honours degree in commerce. He joined Willis Faber later that year and was appointed executive director of the political and financial risk division in 1988.
He was a founding shareholder and director of insurance broker Special Risk Services from January 1989 to 1994.
Between 1994 and 1998 he acted as a consultant on the sale of a number of mortgage operations, as well as acting as a risk consultant for several financial institutions. He was appointed a full-time consultant to Benfield in July 1997. In August 1998, Douetil joined Brit Insurance (BIL), the FSA-regulated insurance company subsidiary of Brit Insurance Holdings, and was appointed chief executive of BIL in December 1998.
He joined the Brit Insurance Holdings board in November 1999 and was also chief executive of Brit's Lloyd's operations, Brit Syndicates, in July 2002. He was appointed as head of underwriting for Brit Insurance Holdings in August 2002.
Douetil was appointed the group's deputy chief executive in March 2004 before becoming group chief executive of Brit Insurance Holdings in April 2005.
He was appointed chairman of the Lloyd's Market Association in May 2005 and he also sits on the market reform group and the Lloyd's claims steering committee.
21 SWISS RE
Address:
30 St Mary Axe
London
EC3A 8EP
t: 020 7933 3000
f: 020 7933 5950
e: paul_martin@swissre.com
w: www.swissre.com
Chief officer: Ruurd de Fluiter
Year established: 1969
Major shareholders: Whollyowned subsidiary of Swiss Re
Number of UK offices: 1
Number of UK employees: NONE. staff are employed by Swiss Re Services
Main lines of business: Property; casualty; and marine reinsurance
Subsidiaries: SR International Business Insurance Company; Palatine Insurance Company
Company history: Swiss Reinsurance Co UK was established in 1969. Its UK parent company is Swiss Re GB, which is registered in England and Wales. The ultimate holding company is Swiss Reinsurance Co, incorporated in Switzerland. Swiss Re UK is a dedicated non-life reinsurance operation. Life and health reinsurance transactions are handled by a sister company, Swiss Re Life and Health, a separate legal entity.
Swiss Re UK has an 'AA' credit and claims payment rating from Standard & Poor's, and a 'Aa2' insurance financial strength rating from Moody's. SR International Business Insurance Co, a specialist insurance carrier, also has an 'AA' rating from Standard & Poor's, and an 'Aa3' from Moody's
22 GENWORTH FINANCIAL
Address:
Payment Protection Insurance
Building 11
Chiswick Park
Chiswick High Road
London
W4 5XR
T: 020 8380 3000
E: Info@Genworth.com
w: www.genworth.co.uk
Chief officer: Bob Brannock, chief executive
Main lines of business: Payment protection insurance
Company history: Genworth Financial is among the largest US insurance and financial services holding companies, with an expanding international presence.
Its founding companies date to 1871, when The Life Insurance Company of Virginia wrote its first policy. It has provided payment protection insurance in Europe for 33 years.
Genworth Financial is a global company with more than $105 billion in assets 1, employing 6,900 people in 24 countries and serving the needs of 15 million customers. The company provides payment protection insurance to customers throughout Europe.
23 LIVERPOOL VICTORIA FRIENDLY SOCIETY
Address:
County Gates Bournemouth
BH1 2NF
t: 01202 292333
f: 01202 292253
w: liverpoolvictoria.co.uk
Chief officer: Malcolm Berryman, chief executive
Year established: 1843
Number of UK employees (2003): 2,200
Main lines of business: Life and endowment business including personal pensions. Through subsidiary companies: fund management, general insurance, banking and independent advice, life protection products
Subsidiaries: Liverpool Victoria Banking Services, Liverpool Victoria IFA, Liverpool Victoria Life Company, Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company, Liverpool Victoria Asset Management, Liverpool Victoria Portfolio Managers
Company history: Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, formed in 1843, is the UK's largest friendly society, funds under management.
Chief officer Biography: Malcolm Berryman became group chief executive of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society in 1999 having previously been appointed actuary and operations director.
As part of that role he has managed all of Liverpool Victoria's acquisitions over the period as well as the move from its London head office to Bournemouth. He joined the society in September 1995 after being chief executive of Crown Financial Management.
Prior to that he acted as a consultant setting up Ark Life, the bancassurance operation of AIB in Ireland.
Liverpool Victoria provides personal lines motor and household insurance through affinity groups and with the general public using the Liverpool Victoria and Frizzell brands. All general insurance business is administered on a direct basis from the head office in Bournemouth.
24 AON
Address:
8 Devonshire Square
London
EC2M 4PL
t: 020 7623 5500
f: 020 7621 1511
London General Insurance
Combined House
15 Wheatfield Way
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2PQ
t: 020 8247 9888
f: 020 8247 9741
w: www.aon.co.uk
Chief officer: Roger Powell, chief executive
Year established: 1985
Major shareholders: Aon Warranty Group Europe
Main lines of business: Motor extended warranty; appliance extended warranty; property damage; accident and health; creditor redundancy; contractors' liability; financial gap and certain ancillary insurance business
Subsidiaries: All of London General Insurance's non-UK business is transacted via branches of Freedom of Services
Company history: London General Insurance is ultimately owned by Aon Corporation, incorporated in the US.
Combined Insurance Company of America
Combined House
15 Wheatfield Way
Kingston-upon-Thames
Surrey
KT1 2PA
t: 020 8546 7733
f: 020 8549 5584
w: www.combinedeurope.com
Year established: 1963
Major Shareholder: Aon Corporation
Chief officer: Clive Robinson
Average number of employees for 2004: 354
Main lines of business: Accident and healthcare insurance
Company history: Combined was established in the UK in 1963 and is the largest underwriting company within the global insurance services giant, Aon Corporation. Combined was founded in 1919 in Chicago, Illinois and has developed accident and healthcare products with over 80 years of market experience.
Combined's European head office in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, is part of a multinational network operating in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Thailand and Portugal. Combined has emerged as a leader in providing accident and healthcare products to individuals, families and businesses around the world.
It has almost four million customers worldwide and currently has over 6,000 agents worldwide including more than 1,000 in UK and Ireland.
25 GROUPAMA
ADDRESS:
Groupama House
24-26 Minories
London EC3N 1DE
t: 0870 850 8510
f: 020 7264 2862
E: corporate.office@groupama.co.uk
w: www.groupama.co.uk
Chief officer: Pierre Lefevre, chairman and chief executive
Major shareholders: Wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupama SA
Number of UK offices: 6 - In addition to its London HQ, the group's underwriting and customer service centre is situated in Manchester and its healthcare operations are based in Tonbridge. Groupama has three specialist claims centres in Barnet, Portsmouth and Tonbridge. The group's IT centre is in Croydon.
Number of UK employees: 700
Main lines of business: Personal insurance: Home and motor.
Commercial insurance: Commercial combined, packages targeting SMEs plus motor fleet and tradesmen.
Healthcare: accident and sickness, PMI and travel.
Company history: The UK group has traditions of insurance dating back over 150 years. Groupama Insurances' parent company can trace its origins to 1840 and has grown from its roots in the French agricultural community to become one of the world's leading mutual property and casualty insurers and one of Europe's largest financial services groups.
Chief officer Biography: Pierre Lefevre graduated with degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration before beginning his career at Unilever.
He joined AXA Belgium SA in 1984 and held a number of senior management positions, culminating in his appointment to the position of general manager for property and casualty.
In 1994 Lefevre moved to the UK's AXA Insurance Company where he was chairman and chief executive until 1997, when he was appointed chairman of the executive board of AXA Netherlands BV.
He joined Groupama Insurances in March 2002 as chairman and chief executive, with specific responsibilities for the operations and strategic direction of the UK group plus ongoing liaison with Groupama in France.
Lefevre is a Belgian national and is fluent in English, French and Dutch.
