Top 50 Brokers 2016: #3 Aon

UK chief executive: Andrew Tunnicliffe

Brokerage: £758.4m

Management

Andrew Tunnicliffe has replaced Jim Herbert as chief executive of Aon Risk Solutions UK, the global broking group’s UK broking business. Herbert was promoted to the role of chief development officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Julie Page has also joined Aon from Marsh to lead the UK National business of Aon Risk Solutions. Page left Marsh as part of the restructuring following Marsh’s takeover of broker Jelf last December. Dominic Christian remains chief executive of Aon UK Ltd, the company’s main regulated entity.

Strategy

One of Tunnicliffe’s main roles will be to significantly develop and grow Aon’s UK operation and expand the broker’s UK footprint. The broker also wants to grow its UK national business.

But the question that is on everyone’s lips is what Aon wants to do in the UK SME space.

With Marsh snapping up Jelf last year as a platform to build its SME and mid-market proposition, how will Aon make its own statement of intent in the UK SME market, as one of Marsh’s closest rivals?

So far the broker has been tight-lipped about its plans but it has started making some moves to expand its SME proposition. Aon is recruiting appointed representatives for its affinity division to bolster its UK SME distribution channel. Appointed representatives are small broking firms or individual brokers that operate under another a broker’s licence.