20. Budget Group

20. Budget Group
Fee and comm income (2001): £38.9m

Pre-tax profit (2001): £2.8m

Address: Budget House
Bretton Way
Peterborough
PE3 8BG
Tel: 01733 845 555
Fax: 01733 845 003

Email: pwinslow@budgetins.co.uk

Website: www.budgetins.co.uk

History: Budget commenced business as a direct writer in 1992. Following a change in strategy in 1997, the company became a call centre-based personal lines intermediary. Shortly after it formed Advanced Claims Management, a specialist claims handling unit, dealing with both panel and non-panel business.

In 1999, the company acquired 85 high street branches from the Arnott Century group and in 2001 acquired the Dial Direct and Bennetts business.

In 2001, the commercial division was formed, with a view to becoming a major provider to the SME market.

Chief officer: Peter Winslow

Biography: Winslow qualified as a chartered accountant in 1978 and went straight into the book publishing industry.

He built up and sold a private niche publishing concern to Harper Collins, where he went on to become chief executive from 1990 to 1994. At 40, he decided on a career change, particularly wanting to focus on call centre-based operations.

He joined the Budget Group in February 1995 as deputy managing director and became group managing director in 1997.

Main lines of business: Private car, household, commercial vehicle, motorcycle and commercial.

Special Schemes: Specialist scheme for affinity providers.

Number of UK branches: 85

Number of employees (average for 2001): 1,329

Technology: A bespoke customer marketing system enabling selection, targeting and value profiling which, when integrated with the main processing database to capture enquiries and sales data, allows marketing efficiency to be maximised.

Major shareholders: Two South African family trusts.