CEO Stuart Reid names senior colleagues
Stuart Reid has unveiled the management board for Venture Preference (VP) after being appointed sole chief executive of the AXA owned broker subsidiary a month ago.
Reid will be joined on the VP management board by Chief Financial Officer Ian Story, who joined the business with the acquisition of Smart & Cook, Chief Operating Officer Shaun Hooper, who was previously Managing Director of New Markets at AXA, and Managing Director Trading Graham Coates, previously Managing Director of Stuart Alexander.
Reid said: “It is essential for VP to have a strong management board at its helm as we continue our strategy of building the company into a leading independent insurance brokerage. I am very much looking forward to working with my newly formed team to drive the business’s growth and expansion.”
He has also filledl the next tier of senior management positions from the existing VP team. Most of these senior roles are on the trading side of the business, which is now organised on a regional basis to cover the brokers’ 46 UK offices.
As a result of this re-organisation Marshall Sugden, Neil Thornton, Nick Inge and Leigh Smart have all been appointed as Regional Managing Directors.
Tim Mortimer will be the Director responsible for the Private Clients business. Dave Hopwood takes charge of the Layton Blackham Business Solutions network (LBBS) and Dave Ball becomes Markets Director. Geoff Bradford, formally Managing Director of Layton Blackham becomes Director of Financial Services and Integration while Darryl Druckman remains as Acquisitions Director.
Reid said:: “VP is committed to retaining a UK-wide branch network to stay close to the client and provide a local personal service. The considerable expertise and experience within the new trading team will enable the business to move swiftly to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise while maintaining excellent levels of customer service at all times.”
