24. Provident Financial Group

Provident Insurance

Gross written premiums less treaty (2000): £183.8m

Year established: Founded in 1966 as Halifax Insurance Company, the company changed its name to Provident Insurance in 1994.
Address:
Halifax House
Ferguson Street
Halifax
West Yorkshire
HX1 2PZ
Tel: 01422 331166
Website: www.provident.co.uk

History: Halifax Insurance Company was acquired by Provident Financial and, in 1994, the company's name was changed to Provident Insurance.

Provident Insurance is based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The company continues to grow and is one of the major employers in the Calderdale area, with more than 400 employees.

For over 30 years, Provident Insurance has transacted business through an extensive network of insurance brokers and intermediaries and remains committed to continuing and developing these distribution channels.

Chief officer: Mark Collier
Biography: Collier was appointed managing director of Provident Insurance in July 2001. After university, he joined Provincial Insurance, where he spent eight years in various UK locations. During his time at Provincial, he qualified as an ACII, managed a large claims operation and worked on a number of internal projects.

He has also worked for Iron Trades Insurance Group where he managed claims, credit control and underwriting functions in the motor and personal lines centre.

He joined Provident Insurance in 1995, becoming operations director in July 1999 and managing director two years later in 2001.

UK staff: 421
Main classes of general insurance business:
Private motor, small commercial vehicles, uninsured loss recovery.

Key general insurance personnel:
Simon Kneller, director of actuarial services
Robert Shaw, head of technical claims