#31 Co-operative

GWP: £365.2m

Management

Co-op’s general insurance business is run by managing director Mark Summerfield, supported by directors James Hillon and Charles Offord. The group is headed by Richard Pennycook.

Strategy

In October, the Co-op transferred its CIS general insurance business into the main group holding company, alongside food, funerals and legal services, as customer-facing businesses. The move follows the demerger of Co-op Bank, which once housed the insurance business. Without the £17.3m cost of implementing a new technology platform, the business would have reported a £500,000 operating profit in the first half of this year, compared with a year earlier loss of £6.8m, helped by a lower volume of claims.

#32 Genworth Financial

GWP: £330.7m

Management

A Fortune 500 insurance firm managing more than $9bn in revenues, Genworth sold its European lifestyle protection insurance (LPI) business to AXA for €475m (£333m) in July. Until its integration into AXA by the end of 2015, Bob Brannock is president, international protection, vice-president, commercial, is Peter Barrett, and UK global account director, responsible for sales, client relationship management and local operations is Redmond McDonnell.

Strategy

AXA said the deal will create the third biggest player in the European creditor insurance market with a 9% market share. Before the deal, Genworth LPI was seventh-largest with a 4% share. It would also complement its operations in France, Germany and Italy and open up new markets in the Nordic area and southern Europe.

#33 WR Berkley

GWP: £317.1m

Management

US insurer WR Berkley’s London-based European operation is headed by chief executive Stuart Wright, a 35-year insurance veteran. Peter Glanfield is managing director of the UK branch.

Strategy

UK-based WR Berkley Insurance (Europe) has branches in Spain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Its product offering includes professional indemnity, directors’ and officers’ liability, medical malpractice, general liability, personal accident and travel, engineering and construction. It also offers expertise in marine, cargo, commercial property and casualty.

#34 London General Insurance

GWP: £301.7m

Management

London General’s parent company Warranty Group was taken over by private equity investor TPG Capital in March 2014. London General’s chief executive is Tom Warsop.

Strategy

London General’s portfolio includes automotive, appliance and consumer electronics extended warranty, including theft and damage protection, creditor disability, redundancy and critical illness insurance. It has a concentrated customer base, with its five largest clients accounting for about 45% of net written premium, according to AM Best. The rating agency added that this concentration risk is mitigated by the company’s long-standing client relationships and its comprehensive service and claims handling expertise.

#35 Ecclesiastical

GWP: £288.5m

Management

Mark Hews became Ecclesiastical’s group chief executive in May 2013, joined shortly afterwards by Jacinta Whyte as deputy chief executive and Kevin Simmons as UK commercial director.

Strategy

The churches and charities specialist slipped down the rankings with a sharp fall in gross written premium (GWP). It pulled out of unprofitable business lines, including parts of the care home market, and smaller business lines, such as motor and wedding insurance, as it tried to improve its underwriting performance. The move bore fruit in the first half of 2015, as pre-tax profit nearly doubled to £35.5m.

#36 Lancashire

GWP: £272.7m

Management

Alex Maloney stepped up to chief executive in May 2014, taking over from retiring founder Richard Brindle. He is supported by Paul Gregory as chief underwriting officer and chief executive of the UK operations, and by group chief financial officer Elaine Whelan.

Strategy

London-listed Lancashire focuses on specialty property reinsurance and insurance and has underwriting operations in Bermuda and London. Its five main business areas are aviation, energy, marine, property and Lloyd’s. “Lancashire’s strategy has always been to write the most exposure in a hard market and the least in a soft one,” says Maloney.

#37 Markel Corporation

GWP: £272.1m

Management

Markel International, based in London, is the UK-based arm of US insurer Markel Corporation. It is run by president William Stovin, appointed in 2008. He is supported by chief operating officer Andy Davies and director of underwriting Jeremy Brazil. Markel’s UK regional division is headed by Simon Fell.

Strategy

In June 2015, the insurer merged its two UK companies Markel International and Markel Europe. It has jumped four places in this year’s ranking, and specialises in cover for charities, life sciences and biomedical industries. It also covers high-net-worth insurance for art and collectables.

#38 Domestic & General

GWP: £269.9m

Management

Domestic & General chief executive Alexander Labak has been at the company since March 2014. Non-executive director Kevin Beeston joined the company in 2008 as chairman, and sits on the board of Taylor Wimpey plc, Equiniti Group Ltd and the FA Premier League.

Strategy

Domestic & General topped the Sunday Times Top Track 250 list of fastest growing companies in October 2014. It was bought by CVC Capital Partners for £750m in 2013 from Advent International. It currently covers home appliance warranties and says it has no plans to expand into new lines, but instead wants to grow overseas.

#39 Travelers

GWP: £248.4m

Management

The UK-based European operation of US insurer Travelers is run by chief executive Matthew Wilson, who replaced Sean Genden in March 2015. He was previously chief operating officer. Genden has become head of international business insurance at Travelers. UK general manager Keith Purvis stepped down this year after 22 years at the company.

Strategy

The company has broadened its mid-market capabilities after launching five industry-specific products under the IndustryEdge brand. It focuses on regional underwriting and technology products aimed at IT and electronics manufacturing sectors.

#40 Tokio Marine

GWP: £242.0m

Management

The Japanese insurance group’s UK-based operation, Tokio Marine Kiln, is run by chief executive Charles Franks, who was chief executive of Lloyd’s insurer Kiln before Tokio Marine bought it in 2008. At group level, Tokio Marine is headed by chairman Tsutomu Terabayashi and chief executive AK Cher.

Strategy

When Tokio Marine Europe and Kiln merged in 2014, they initially kept their respective brands. But from 1 January 2015 they have both operated under the Tokio Marine Kiln brand. The company writes specialist and corporate insurance in both Lloyd’s and the London company market, and it has regional branches around the UK.