Towergate bolsters corporate practice with three hires

Towergate has hired three executives to grow its corporate and mid-market practice.

Former Willis executive David Brierley has been appointed environment practice leader, former BLP Insurance executive Mitch Cookney has joined as development executive specialising in latent defects insurance (LDI), and former NFU Mutual executive Jon Fox has been hired as risk manager.

All are newly created positions.

Brierley previously worked in Willis’s environmental business. In his new role he will work with Towergate’s 70-strong branch network to provide advice on environmental cover to existing customers and develop new business.

Brierley said: “From bespoke cover for large corporates to facilities for SMEs, my job is to make sure that all our clients are aware of their risk exposures and are provided with the cover they need.”

Cookney was previously responsible for the north of England and generating new business at latent defects specialist underwriting agency BLP Insurance.

He said: “Towergate has placed a few LDI policies in the past but never had a specialist in the area. LDI fits nicely with the other construction insurance products we have on offer and will give us another route to access large property contractors and developers.”

Fox was previously a risk management consultant at NFU Mutual Risk Management Services.

He said: Working with account executives, I will support clients at all stages from insurance to claims to risk management processes.”

Towergate Advisory chief executive Joe Thelwell said: “We continue to invest in and improve our client proposition through quality recruits and enhancing our broking offering.

“I am delighted that Jon, David and Mitch have chosen to join Towergate. Their formidable experience will be a real asset to our clients as we help them to incorporate insurance into a broader risk management programme.”