Mark Weil

CEO, Marsh UK and Ireland

As predicted 2015 was a big year for Marsh with the £258m deal for Jelf, giving it a potentially valuable asset. Weil told the market in September it was too early to predict what redundancies might come of this and if there would be a rebrand but it will certainly be an interesting year for the broker.

If he was a brand: McDonalds – The move for Jelf means that the Marsh UK boss now runs a bigger Mac than he did before.

George Osborne

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Came from nowhere last year to make some major decisions impacting the insurance industry. Osborne’s shock budget statement to raise insurance premium tax made him very unpopular but then he softened the blow with proposals for soft tissue injuries. The market is still to decide if he is friend or foe but now he has realised the power he has over this market and is unlikely to leave it there.

If he was a brand: Marmite - you either love it or hate it and 2016 could well be the year the insurance market ends up hating George Osborne.

Amanda Blanc

CEO, Axa Insurance UK & Ireland GI

Last year Blanc was widely expected to move to the top spot at Towergate but the move never transpired and instead a reorganisation of Axa’s UK general insurance activities saw her empire widen as she was appointed as CEO of the UK brand. Having integrated the commercial lines, personal lines intermediary and personal direct and partnerships arms last year, this year Blanc will be determined to deliver on the transparency promises she has made to customers.

If she was a brand: Oxfam – it’s all about the greater good but that doesn’t mean there isn’t high fashion involved

Inga Beale

CEO, Lloyd’s

Leading the way for women now Jacqueline McNamee is no longer at AIG, Beale is putting all her efforts into making sure her employer remains a pre-eminent global brand at the forefront of innovation. Her latest move to suggest that regulator Mark Carney should consider weighing on Solvency II proves she means business, while Lloyd’s launched its first diversity event last year under her guidance.

If she was a brand: Sport England’s #ThisGirlCan as she embodies the message that you shouldn’t worry about how you look or if people judge you but that you should celebrate being involved

Maurice Tulloch

Chairman, global general insurance & CEO Aviva UK & Ireland GI

He might no longer be the head honcho in the UK, but he leaves a legacy whereby the insurer’s reputation among brokers has improved; and as a business it is seen as being at the forefront of digital innovation. Tulloch will also obviously have a say in determining his successor, and it is a sign of how comfortable his boss Mark Wilson is with the UK that for the first time since it became Aviva the business did not feel the need to unveil who the new head will be the day their predecessor moved on.

If he was a brand: John Lewis – A long standing name that is handling the transition to online and digital pretty well, and appears to at least understand the value in getting out its telescope and being long, rather than short-sighted.

Anthony Baldwin

CEO of AIG

Following the surprise exit of Jacqueline McNamee at the end of last year as part of a cost-cutting exercise, Baldwin has been appointed CEO of AIG and takes the helm of the biggest insurance company in the UK general insurance market, according to AM Best. Like many before him Baldwin comes from within the firm having joined the company in 1995 but he faces a tough time steering the ship when its working its way through a a significant cost- cutting programme.

If he was a brand: Tesco – he is taking a big ship and needs to see it clear of past issues

The UK Electorate

With Prime Minister David Cameron stating that 2016 could be the year that the UK votes whether it is in or out of the European Union, the UK electrorate like in 2015 hold a considerable power in their hands. A recent poll in the Daily Mail put the ‘out’ campaign 6 points ahead. What will the UK public decide and what will this mean for UK insurers?

If they were a brand: Apple – everyone knows it, most people use it and it controls our lives in ways we don’t even realise.

David Ross

CEO, Towergate

The former overseer of the [what were once much loser] purse strings at Arthur J Gallagher’s international arm, Ross surprised many when he jumped ship to head up Towergate. Now answerable to backer Highbridge he has his work cut out to integrate the consolidator into a more efficient and manageable beast, while also having access to a significant war chest. With a new team around him, he’ll be hoping to breathe some new life into what was until recently a floundering business.

If he was a brand: Easy Jet - You get what you see, and it provides a gateway all across Europe, somewhere Towergate is expected to finally realise its acquisition dream this year.

Graeme Chilton

CEO, Arthur J Gallagher International

Previously number 37 in the Powerlist, everyone’s favourite reinsurance guru stepped up the power terms when in February 2015 he took on the position of international CEO and replaced David Ross at the top. With the backing of Tom Gallagher, the man who signs the cheques, Stuart Reid as a right hand man and a declared vision to become more strategic in merger and acquisitions, this could be the year that sees ‘Chily’ as the top power broker in the UK in more ways than one.

If he was a brand: Chelsea FC – His employer might have been in the press for the wrong reasons recently, but after a change at the top it seems to have stabilised and be looking to kick on again, even if the spending has been restrained.

Joint second Graeme Chilton, international CEO, Arthur J Gallagher and David Ross, CEO, Towergate

For now it would be difficult to separate these two given what has gone on in the past. For all the predictions as to winners and losers in the legal battle, the next 12 months should go some way to separating these two industry titans – who unlike some of their larger broking rivals are very much the focal points of their respective businesses - and providing evidence as to whether there has been a power shift or not.

Andrew Bailey

CEO, Financial Conduct Authority

Bailey’s move from one side of the regulatory twins peaks [the Prudential Regulation Authority] to the Financial Conduct Authority seemed somewhat anti-climactic when he was unveiled as Martin Wheatley’s successor. Especially given some of the exotic names that had been linked with the post. In an interview with the Financial Times, Bailey was quoted as saying that unlike his predecessor, “shooting first and asking questions later,” would not be his mantra, which will be a relief for many. Given the [almost] clean slate that he starts with, albeit as parliament debates the function of the regulator, he heads up the Powerlist, more for his potential to influence change, than any proven track record.

If he was a brand: My Switzerland – it might be an expensive destination, but it offers a friendly neutral antidote to some more gun-ho destinations