Articles by Tom Luckham
Allianz Broker raids Ageas for Nicola George’s successor
Glyn Hughes has been named managing director of Allianz Personal Broker, following the departure of Nicola George in late August.
Ditch ‘pre-existing condition’ terminology to fight travel insurance pain point
The industry should leave behind the term ‘pre-existing condition’ in order to lessen the rate of under-declaration in medical screenings, delegates have heard.
Repair costs still rising despite improvements to body shop capacity
Repair costs are set to continue to increase into 2026, despite a decreasing rate in accidents and improved body shop capacity, Matt Thorby, head of motor at Verisk Claims has told Insurance Post.
AI agents could join insurance workforce within next three years
Erez Barak, chief technology officer at insurtech Earnix, has told Insurance Post artificial intelligence agents could join the insurance workforce in the next “12 to 36 months.”
Admiral foils family of fraudsters
Admiral Insurance and HF have obtained a judgment against mother and son scammers, securing damages of more than £200,000.
Fraudsters using AI ‘next great threat’ to insurance industry
Generative artificial intelligence in the hands of fraudsters has the potential to be a huge threat, but the industry must fight fire with fire, delegates have heard.
Duncan Pagan appointed CEO at Hedron
Duncan Pagan has been appointed CEO at Hedron Network, the network division of Brown & Brown, subject to regulatory approval.
Claims costs calm but tech gaps persist for brokers
A majority of brokers are still reporting rising claims costs, but fewer say costs went up this quarter than a year ago, according to Direct Commercial’s latest Broker Barometer.
CFC appoints Jane Poole as group CFO
Former Direct Line Group chief financial officer Jane Poole will be joining CFC in September, subject to regulatory approval.
Viral sign-holding graduate secures Howden internship
Alexander Mani, a job-seeking economics graduate who stood outside the Lloyd’s building for 10 hours holding a self-advertising sign this summer, has secured an internship at Howden.
Jensten finds buyer in Bain Capital
Jensten is set to be bought by private equity firm Bain Capital, following two years of attempts to find a buyer.
Nicola George to depart Allianz Broker
Allianz Personal Broker’s managing director of personal lines will depart the business in October, the company has confirmed.
UK pet insurance viewed as most expensive in Europe
39% of UK pet insurance customers now say their costs are the highest they’ve ever been, more than double the European average, according to data from Crif.
Thomas Carroll eyes high-net-worth expansion as it combines teams
Thomas Carroll sales director Greg Edwards has told Insurance Post the group is aiming to harness its London market presence to expand its high-net-worth customer base.
Range Rover fraudster handed suspended sentence
A man has been sentenced after a failed attempt to defraud £108,700 by falsely claiming his Range Rover had been stolen and crashed after a pub crawl.
Gallagher’s M&A appetite ‘undimmed’ following AssuredPartners acquisition
Gallagher’s appetite for acquisitions has not been blunted by the completion of its $13.45bn (£9.93bn) purchase of AssuredPartners, UK CEO Michael Rea has told Insurance Post.
Karen Jackman appointed Bravo Networks MD
Karen Jackman has been appointed managing director of Bravo Networks, ending a three-month period of interim leadership by Everywhen chief commercial officer Phil Bayles.
Two in five insurers say tech platforms miss the mark
Insurers and MGAs see digital platforms as vital to their operations, yet some remain frustrated with their technology's ability to deliver, according to research from Covernet.
Repair network growth drives EV insurance rate softening
Premiums are decreasing following harsh rate increases in 2023, according to data from Consumer Intelligence.
Brokers voice concerns over non-standard underinsurance
Brokers are increasingly concerned about the risk of underinsurance in the non-standard market, as well as accelerated market softening, according to a Prestige Underwriting survey.
Verisk warns of ‘perfect storm’ in subsidence claims
Ben Blain, head of property at Verisk UK, has warned of a "perfect storm" in subsidence claims, citing increasing volumes coupled with an uptick in material costs.
Howden cuts debt costs by $8m a year
Howden has shaved 25 basis points off the margin on its $3.1bn (£2.3bn) term loan B and repriced its £765m revolving credit facility, in a move expected to save the broker around $8m (£5.9m) a year.
Uber and Freeway unveil UK driver insurance platform
Freeway Insurance and Uber have signed a five-year partnership, launching a digital insurance platform through the Uber Driver app, Insurance Post can reveal.
Sign of the times: grad’s internship plea goes viral
Alexander Mani, an economics graduate seeking an internship, spent 10 hours standing outside the Lloyd’s building with a sign advertising himself for hire – and told Insurance Post that the industry's response was “incredibly welcoming.”