Weblog

Exclusive images from a police swoop on stolen plant equipment had readers flocking to insurancetimes.co.uk this week. The photographs showed the Metropolitan police plant theft unit, which is funded by insurers, in action at Tilbury port in Essex.

Web users were treated to a picture preview of the investigation that appeared in last week’s relaunch edition of Insurance Times.

The jobs market has rarely been out of the headlines in recent months so it is no surprise that two stories about cutbacks made it on to the insurancetimes.co.uk most read list.

First came the news that Allianz is set to shed a further 90 employees in its retail division. This would take the insurer’s total for proposed job cuts to 260 after it made a similar announcement in September.

Then it was revealed that Aon would be making up to 700 redundancies across the newly rebranded Aon Benfield reinsurer.

To coincide with the economic downturn, insurancetimes.co.uk published a report on the state of the employment market, where recruitment consultants who specialise in insurance moved to allay fears that the jobs crisis is spreading closer to home.

Online subscribers who want more in-depth analysis of the sector can read this year’s Top 50 Insurers supplement online. And don’t forget you can find “My favourites” in the Latest issue section of our website, updated each Wednesday. This week, it’s Mark Wood, managing director of Broker Network.

My Favourites – Mark Wood

www.vistage.co.uk

As a member of Vistage, I benefit from sharing expertise and experience with other senior managers and business leaders – Broker Network Members are entitled to discounted membership of this invaluable programme and this website keeps me up to date with the latest seminars and workshops.

www.etapedudales.co.uk

A 175km annual cycle ride through the Yorkshire Dales which I competed in this year with a finishing time of 8hours and 25minutes.

www.towergate.co.uk

Broker Network Members now have access to exclusive products through our Towergate Zones. This website has had a facelift and provides me with useful day to day information about the Group and its businesses.

www.telegraph.co.uk

This website gives me immediate and up to date information regarding sports and business – my two passions!

www.yorkshire.com

The Yorkshire Tourist board website tells me all I need to know about the beautiful countryside in which I live and work. Broker Network’s new HQ, Hexagon House, opened in Knaresborough last week, a beautiful Yorkshire market town with excellent links to the A1 and M1.

Mark Wood is managing director of the Broker Network.