Consolidators
PIB u-turns on pledge to keep childcare broker brand
PIB will now integrate childcare broker Albany Childcare into Morton Michel, despite pledging at the time of purchase it would keep the brand.
GRP acquires online enterprise risk management firm
Essex-based risk management specialist Health and Safety Click has been bought by consolidator GRP.
Gauntlet’s appointed representative network enters Wales
Gauntlet Group’s network Gauntlet Enterprise has picked up its first Welsh appointed representatives.
Nexus buys MGA Plus Risk Limited
Nexus has acquired financial and professional lines managing general agent Plus Risk Limited.
GRP's County Group buys Stoke broker
GRP-owned County Group has acquired Stoke-based broker Eric Rawlins & Company, which specialises in contractors, property owners, business and fleet risks.
GRP broker acquires Thomas Cook
GRP-owned broker Sagars has bought Lancashire-based engineering and entertainment broker Thomas Cook & Son.
PIB to increase GWP to £900m with Cobra acquisition
PIB will see its gross written premium grow from £550m to £900m with the acquisition of Cobra.
Fourth acquisition in two weeks caps off recent cluster of GRP broker buys
Exclusive: Higos, GRP’s hub business in the South West, has acquired The Insurance Group for an undisclosed sum.
Analysis: Consolidators look to Europe for acquisitions as UK competition grows
The UK has seen a wave of consolidation in regional broking over the past few years, making competition for viable targets a challenge. In response, several consolidators are starting to look to Ireland and Europe as a potential area of expansion.
Uptick in start-up broker applications leads Marsh Networks to develop fresh offerings
Exclusive: Marsh Networks has seen an increase in the number of start-up brokers expressing interest in joining, leading it to create two packages to attract them to its networks.
Interview: Amanda Blanc, Zurich
Amanda Blanc’s move from Axa to Zurich was perhaps the most talked about people move of 2018. The Association of British Insurers chair spoke to Jen Frost about her plans for the business in the coming year
Marsh looks to further €1.1bn of debt to fund JLT acquisition
Marsh is raising €1.1bn (£942m) through a senior notes offering, in addition to the $5bn (£3.8bn) it has previously announced.
Aviva small broker community not ‘anti-network’
Aviva's small broker community is not a threat to networks or spurred on by consolidation in the regional market, said the company's managing director of intermediaries Phil Bayles.
Brokerbility targets younger brokers to boost membership numbers
Independent broking network Brokerbility is targeting brokers with younger management teams in a bid to avoid clashing with consolidators, managing director Ian Stutz told Post.
County Group expects to close more deals after swooping for Derby-based broker
The County Group has made its second acquisition of the year, having acquired Derby-based broker Rahon Insurance.
Marsh's JLT deal 'could drive further M&A'
Marsh’s $5.6bn (£4.2bn) acquisition of JLT could spell opportunity for private equity-backed brokers, analysts believe.
Lockyers snapped up by Broker Network
Yorkshire-based broker Lockyers is the latest to be bought by Broker Network.
Analysis: Commission costs and conflicts
Aviva and GRP’s split rekindles the consolidator commission debate
Axa and Allianz strike latest GRP broker deals
Axa has taken on the agency for the commercial combined and fleet business portfolios for GRP’s ‘south-eastern hub’ Green Insurance Group (Greens), while Allianz has made a bespoke agreement with GRP’s Sagar, McGrady’s and Abbey Bond Lovis to take on…
GRP's Mike Bruce on win-win consolidation
Mergers and acquisitions take many shapes in the UK retail broking market, writes Mike Bruce, CEO broking at Global Risk Partners, noting some deals can actually support an owner's entrepreneurial spirit.
Analysis: Markerstudy's turbulent year
Last month, Qatar Re signed a deal to buy Markerstudy’s Gibraltar-based insurance companies after year-long rumours of a sale had only started to die down
Research: What brokers really think of insurers
Brokers share their views on their relationships with insurers, the impact of technology and their investment priorities, in this exclusive piece of research conducted by Post in association with WPA
Analysis: Has the sun set on insurer-owned brokers?
As The Ardonagh Group buys Carole Nash and Mastercover, has the bell finally rung for the model?
Blog: How independent brokers should deal with uncertainties
In an uncertain climate, the owners of independent brokerages need to plan their succession, urges Brokerbility chairman Ashwin Mistry, arguing this is for the long-term health of the whole insurance industry.