Tributes flow in after “true pioneer” Swinton founder Ken Scowcroft dies

Swinton founder Ken Scowcroft has died at the age of 89, following a long illness.

Scowcroft founded the high street broker, which turned 60 last year, in 1957.

Gilles Normand, chief executive of Swinton Group, has paid tribute to Scowcroft, calling him an “original disruptor” and “true pioneer”.

According to Normand, Scowcroft “enabled customers to compare prices and save money long before the internet arrived.”

Normand continued: “We were extremely saddened to hear of his passing, and our condolences go to his wife Joyce, son Brian, daughters Janet and Karen and the rest of his family.

“It was a real pleasure to have met Ken at Swinton’s 60^th birthday celebrations last year.

“He will be sadly missed.”

Tributes have also been made on social media, after Swinton informed its followers of Scowcroft’s death via a LinkedIn post.

Swinton chief technology officer Allen Waring wrote: “Very sad news. He was ahead of his time.”

Staff who spent their early careers at Swinton remembered Scowcroft fondly.

James Parsons, now a personal lines sales advisor at Premier Insurance Centre, wrote that he started working at Swinton in 1987 and remembered Scowcroft as a “true gentleman”.

A-Plan renewal consultant Catherine Smith, who says she began her career at Swinton 28 years ago, added that she was “thinking of the Scowcroft family”.

Tracey Challinor, now an administrator at Greggs, wrote: “Very sad loss was a great man who built a fantastic company where I had the pleasure to be employed for 30 years . Rip Mr Scowcroft . Condolences to the family.”