Former Independent executive joins US insurer that is planning to expand in the UK.
Keith Rutter has left Lockton for US insurer AmTrust as the broker reshuffles some of its senior staff.
Jon Taylor, head of legal services at Lockton, has been made redundant as the privately owned company consolidates its legal department. Three other employees are on redundancy notice.
Rutter, a former executive of Independent Insurance, said his departure was “very amicable” and he was excited about bringing in new business as AmTrust’s development and marketing director.
Rutter, 51, became managing director of Lockton’s affinity division in June last year.
“It would have had to have been something exciting to make me leave and I think a development role in a small UK insurer is something very exciting,” he said
Reflecting on his time at Lockton, he said: “It was great. I learnt a lot about affinity and its marketing and development. I worked directly for the chairman of the US affinity group. It enhanced my understanding of that type of business.”
Rutter, who will be based in London, said his experience and contacts would help the company expand its UK operations.
AmTrust, a casualty and property insurer for small businesses, has its headquarters in New York and offices in the UK, Ireland and Bermuda.
Rutter has more than 30 years’ experience in underwriting and broking, including senior positions at AIG, Independent, Gerling and The Underwriter.
The FSA fined Rutter £20,000 in 2004 for regulatory breaches during his time at The Underwriter, which he launched in 1999.
A Lockton spokesman said the firm was looking forward to working with Rutter in his new role. He added that more people had joined the broker than left in the past 18 months. “We have a clear plan of where we want to go and no doubt, it will lead to people coming and going,” the spokesman said.
