Fee and commission income (2003): £163m.
Pre-tax profit (2003): £1.7m
Address: The Connect Centre
Kingston Crescent
Portsmouth PO2 8QL Tel: 023 9265 6869
Fax: 0870 606 1382
Email: enquiries@bdml.co.uk
Website: www.bdml.co.uk
Year Established: 1993
History: BDML Connect Ltd is a GISC-regulated leading general insurance intermediary and third-party administrator. Focusing primarily on personal lines products, the company dealt with almost two million inbound telephone calls and processed over 220,000 policies in 2003. BDML provides specialist and fully branded support to a wide range of companies, including AXA Insurance, RAC Financial Services, Groupama Insurances, Halifax, esure, Hastings Direct, Admiral Insurance, Lloyds TSB and Abbey National.
BDML provides a holistic service on behalf of its clients, from the process of quoting/buying, through to claims notification, all supported by state-of-the-art data processing (Cheshire Data) and telephony systems (Aspect).
It offers corporate clients a comprehensive review of their customer activity via detailed management and marketing information. This data is used proactively with clients to further enhance response and conversion rates and optimise revenues.
BDML has access to around 85% of the UK personal lines insurance market through its current agency base, which includes direct writers such as Churchill. It operates on a partnership basis with its clients and insurer partners using the critical mass of its operation's buying power and strong commercial relationships with insurer partners.
Ultimate Insurance Solutions is a wholesale and retail provider of motor and travel legal expense products and services including claims handling and provision of helplines. It is a specialist in the provision of personal accident and health-related products on behalf of various Lloyd's underwriters.
Ultimate also provides servicing and full third-party administration of personal lines business on behalf of a network of insurance brokers and intermediaries. Thornside Ltd is a pet healthcare insurance agency and trades as Petwise. Thornside focuses on the affinity group sector and major clients include the Kennel Club, Argos, Albion Insurance Company and Pets Pyjamas.
Major shareholders: Stephen Lockwood; Keith Morris; Sandy Dunn; Angus Ball.
Main lines of business: Personal motor, household, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, motorhome, travel, pet healthcare, motor and travel legal expenses, motorists' personal accident.
Number of UK branches: 1
Subsidiary companies: Ultimate Insurance Solutions Ltd; Thornside Ltd
Number of UK employees (2003): 345
Chief officer: Sandy Dunn
Biography: Sandy Dunn was chairman and chief executive of Eagle Star Group when he left the company in 1992. He established Eagle Star Direct in 1988/89 and its development throughout its first three years of operation, including the integration of the branch direct business into the centralised direct operations centres across four sites.
Dunn joined Groupama in 1992 to establish its presence in the direct insurance market in the UK and to examine opportunities to develop direct distribution in other European markets. He was a director of Groupama Insurances and managing director of Touchline Insurance Company Ltd, Groupama's direct writing arm located in Portsmouth.
Together with three other owner/directors, he undertook a management buy-in of Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd in December 1998. They renamed the company BDML Connect Ltd, of which he is chairman and chief executive.
He is also chairman of sister companies, Ultimate Insurance Solutions and Thornside.
