Fee and commission income (1998):
Fee and commission income (1998):
£12.7m
Pre-tax profit (1998):
£2.8m
Head office:
25 Eastcheap
London
EC3M 1LE
Tel: 020 7283 2525
Fax: 020 7626 6661
e-mail:
website: www.alfredblackmore.co.uk
Major shareholders:
Mr J H Northridge, Mr C E Holroyd, Mr P J Dredge, Mr M R Pummell
Chief officer:
John Northridge
Biography:
John Northridge began his career in reinsurance, working for EW Payne. He then moved to Alexander Howden & Swann in 1971 and rose to the position of director by 1974. By this stage of his career, the focus had shifted to professional risks and it is in this capacity that he joined the Alfred Blackmore Group in 1978, as a main board director.
In 1980 he was appointed as the executive chairman of Lloyd's broker Alfred Blackmore & Co, and in 1985 he moved on to become chairman of Alfred Blackmore Group Services, serving also as group managing director. In 1987 he attained the post of group chairman, a role that he still enjoys today.
As well as discharging his strategic responsibilities, John Northridge still maintains an active involvement with many of the group's clients. He tries to ensure that all group staff have access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities.
Company history: Founded by Alfred Blackmore in the early 1900s, the Alfred Blackmore Group is a privately-owned company offering professional insurance services to clients all over the world.
The business soon grew from its original shared-office space, just off Cornhill, to include a Lloyd's brokerage and opened branch offices in a number of different cities. Today the group has offices in London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Spalding, and has more than 200 employees.
The modern group structure consists of a number of different companies. Lloyd's broker Alfred Blackmore & Co is perhaps best known for its long-standing expertise in the fields of professional risks, construction and reinsurance. In addition, it also includes divisions which handle bloodstock and marine clients, as well as a dedicated motor operation, catering mainly for the owners of classic cars.
Blackmore Financial Services offers independent advice on retirement planning, life insurance, investments and trusts, and is regulated by the PIA. Blackmore Insurance Agency specialises in loss/damage motor insurance for diplomats and other expatriates.
Finally, Alfred Blackmore (UK) offers commercial lines, employee benefits and professional risks guidance across the UK. The Alfred Blackmore Group has built its name by offering a top-quality service to each of its clients. The emphasis has always been on long-term relationships and bespoke solutions, specially designed to fit individual needs.
While it will always seek to maintain a personal dimension in all of its business dealings, the group also plans to maximise its use of new technology to allow each client the widest possible access to its services.
What began as a family company is now an efficient and forward-thinking operation, but one which will always value its tradition of knowing each client as thoroughly as possible.
Main lines of business:
Bloodstock, commercial lines, construction, financial services, healthcare, marine, motor (classic cars and expatriates' vehicles) professional risks and reinsurance
Number of UK branches:
Five, including a London head office
Number of employees (average for 1999):
189
Greatest technological advance:
The development of plans for a group-wide website (currently in production) which will allow its customers to communicate with the company in an entirely new way and will feature the facility to register for regular technical updates.
