Ageas appoints new UK board chair

Alison Platt has been appointed as the new chair of insurer Ageas’ UK board, replacing Mark Winlow, whose 10-year stint in the role will end in September this year.

Platt is a current Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) chair at pharmaceutical firm Dechra and a non-executive director at Tesco, among other non-executive roles.

She has over 20 years’ experience leading organisational transformation projects, delivered through service innovation and the use of technology, which Ageas said was highly relevant to its own transformation journey.

In March 2021, Ageas revealed its strategy to focus on its broker-facilitated personal lines business. In February 2022, the insurer confirmed the sale of the renewal rights to its commercial lines business to Axa UK and Ireland.

Platt’s appointment will allow Winlow to step down from his role as chair. Ageas said that Winlow oversaw “significant change and challenging market conditions” during his tenure as chair.

The insurer added: “His leadership and strategic input have been invaluable to Ageas’ ongoing success and development.”

Customer-centric thinking

Ant Middle, chief executive of Ageas UK, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Alison to Ageas - her broad experience and impressive track record speak for themselves.

“I’m looking forward to working with her as we oversee the largest ever investment programme in Ageas UK’s people and technology capabilities and embrace her obvious passion for customers as we keep them at the centre of our thinking.”

Middle wished Winlow well for the future, adding that he was “genuinely grateful” to him for his service to the company.

“Not only has Mark immersed himself in our business and made a fundamental contribution to the strategic development of Ageas UK,” he said, “but he has also been a much valued mentor to me, my predecessors and the executive team.”

Winlow also thanked Middle for his comments and wished Platt “all success in chairing a business that is poised for increasing success”.