Penny Black's insurance week

The attendees read like a roll call of the great and good of the insurance market, and one hears the celebrations went on late into the night with a karaoke session and jam in the outgoing IAG UK CEO's private bar. As for Mr Utley, Penny's sources tell her he was understandably in a very jubilant mood, none more so than when he told the assembled guests he needed to buy something in or near Halifax so one of his children would have somewhere to work. Funnily enough, this was not the only time in the day the self-confessed serial entrepreneur made reference to acquiring the motor insurer Provident, a business he knows well, having joined it in 1991, later becoming deputy managing director and then MD of its sister broking firm Colonnade. Sources at Provident have told Penny they expect something to happen in the first week of September — which at least gives Mr Utley time to enjoy his honeymoon.

Poor Kwik Fit Insurance MD Brendan Devine has been through the mill recently, coming into some difficult combative situations before unflinching opponents. But it wasn't boardroom negotiations with his future boss Andy Watson of new parent Fortis that left him wounded. Mr Devine was left with a broken arm after a paintballing exercise with his kids at Center Parcs. Returning to work with his arm in a sling after his sojourn to the upmarket holiday camp means it has been left to business development director Stevie Sutherland to come to the rescue and give him a lift to their Uddingston workplace. Penny is assured it was a fall rather than one of his kids taking him out that caused the injury. Having lost the use of his writing hand for the next few weeks, Penny wonders if Mr Devine will use the time to mentally construct a scary word-perfect letter to Center Parcs.

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