Net premiums written 1999
$18,756m (£13,108.3m)
European head office
PO Box 6
Surrey Street
Norwich
NR1 3NG
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1603 622 200
Fax: +44 1603 683 659
Website: norwich-union.co.uk
Established in 2000
Main classes of business: Household, motor, liability, small and medium sized commercial, travel and creditor
History
CGU and Norwich Union merged on 30 May 2000 to create CGNU – the world's sixth largest insurer, the UK's largest insurance group and one of the top five life insurers in Europe, with substantial positions in other markets around the world.
CGNU's principal business activities are long-term savings, general insurance and asset management with world-wide premium income and retail investment sales of £26bn and assets under management of more than £200bn.
The combined life and pensions, general insurance and retail fund businesses in the UK operate under the Norwich Union brand, while the institutional business operates under the Morley Fund Management brand.
Key personnel:
Patrick Snowball, group executive director
Igal Mayer, finance director until 31 May 2001
Mark Hodges, finance director from 1 June 2001
Simon Machell, claims director
John Ainley, HR director
Ken Wallace, intermediary business director
Cathryn Riley, operations director
Bridget McIntyre, marketing and underwriting director
Alex Robinson, IT director
Bryan Jenkins, retail business director
Derek Plummer, corporate partnerships director
Subsidiaries:
CGU Belgium
NU Belgium
Cyprus Commercial Union
Commercial Union Czech Republic
CGU France
Eurofil (France)
NU France
Berlinische Leben (Germany)
CGU Greece
Hibernian (Ireland)
CU Italy
NU Italy
Commercial Union International Life (Luxembourg)
Privilege Portfolio SICAV (Luxembourg)
Delta Lloyd (Netherlands)
Ohra Fonds Visie (Netherlands)
Commercial Union (Poland)
Commercial Union Seguros (Portugal)
CGU Romania
Commercial Union Seguros (Spain)
Plus Ultra (Spain)
Northern Assurance Co. (Switzerland)
Biography
Patrick Snowball- group executive director UK General Insurance
Aged 50, Snowball was educated at Harrow, RMA Sandhurst and Lincoln College, Oxford, where he read history and economics.
Snowball's career with the army spanned nearly 20 years, including periods as a Reconnaissance Troop Leader and Squadron Leader in the UK and West Germany while serving with the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards. He attended the Army Staff College in 1983-1984 and subsequently served as Brigade Major 24th Infantry Brigade.
In 1987, he joined Goddard Kay Rogers as a consultant, before joining Ajax Insurance Association, a specialist engineering insurance and inspection company, in 1988. The Norwich Union purchased the company in 1989 and Snowball became managing director in 1991.
In 1994 he made the move from managing director of Ajax to personal insurances director at Norwich Union. Following the merger of personal and commercial in 1996, he became managing director, general insurance responsible for all general insurance distributed through the Intermediary market.
In October 1998, he led the team that acquired London & Edinburgh Insurance Group.
The combined company has a premium income of £2bn in 1998.
Snowball was appointed as a main board director of Norwich Union in October 1999, responsible for all UK general insurance operations.
In May 2000, as part of the CGNU merger, he relinquished his main board position and became managing director of Norwich Union Insurance responsible for all UK general insurance excluding London markets.
On March 31 2001, he was re-appointed to the main Board as group executive director, responsible for the UK general insurance operation.
