Gross written premium (1999):

Gross written premium (1999):
£146.2m

Parent:
BNP PARIBAS

Year company established:
1971

UK head office:
Pinnacle House
A1 Barnet Way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 2XX
tel: 020 8207 9000
fax: 020 8953 6222

Company history:
Formed in 1971, Pinnacle Insurance was originally the composite insurance vehicle of Moorgate Mercantile Holdings, itself acquired by Woodchester Investments

in 1988. The company enjoyed only modest growth until the arrival of the present management team, headed by joint chief executive officers Christopher Schwick and Norman Shuker in 1989.

The company's development was given increased impetus when Banque Paribas, through its insurance subsidiary, Cardiff, acquired Pinnacle in 1991. The recent merger between Paribas and BNP has given Pinnacle an access to a global distribution network.

Pinnacle has mirrored the growth of creditor insurance penetration within the UK. However, it has also established a substantial warranty and investment business

Chief officers:
Christopher Schwick and Norman Shuker, joint CEOs

Biographies:
Christopher Schwick's involvement with insurance marketing and sales spans around 30 years. Having worked in Germany for a bank, and for North West Securities, a UK-based finance house, he joined Financial Insurance Group (FIG) in May 1974 as regional sales manager.

Norman Shuker qualified as an actuary in 1977 and after working for Cannon Lincoln for some time as a consultant with Hymans Robertson, he joined FIG in 1983.

Both achieved seats on the board at FIG and unsuccessfully attempted to orchestrate an MBO when FIG was put up for sale by its US owners.

The pair then turned their attention to other opportunities and identified Pinnacle as ripe for development. Their overtures to Woodchester, Pinnacle's owners, resulted in them taking a 10 % interest in, and strategic and operational control of, the company in 1989.

Eleven years on the same key personnel remain, although the business has expanded.

UK branch offices:
none

UK staff:
425

Number of UK general insurance agents:
none

Direct arm:
yes

Main classes of business:
creditor, warranty, medical cash plans, sports injury and pet healthcare

Key general insurance personnel:
Christopher Mills, joint managing director
Stephen D Williams, joint managing director
Tony Dreyer, group finance director
Kathy Byrne, actuarial director