Fee and commission income (2000): £8.2m
Pre-tax profit (2000): £0.5m

Address:
11th Floor
West Riding House
Albion Street
Leeds LS1 5AA
Tel: 0113 204 2300
Fa ...

Fee and commission income (2000): £8.2m
Pre-tax profit (2000): £0.5m

Address:
11th Floor
West Riding House
Albion Street
Leeds LS1 5AA
Tel: 0113 204 2300
Fax: 0113 204 2350
Email: jenny.mansour@wardevans.co.uk
Website: wardevans.com

History: Ward Evans Group was formed in 1992 by Michael Kenney, Richard Evans and Martin Ward to conduct general commercial insurance broking. Unusually, on the first day of trading, they had no clients, no income and just themselves as employees. Under the leadership of chief executive Michael Kenney, Ward Evans has grown into a group of companies and divisions which comprises; Ward Evans (trading as Ward Evans Corporate), Ward Evans Financial Services (trading as Ward Evans Financial) and Ward Evans Direct (trading as Ward Evans Direct).
In just nine years, Ward Evans has opened offices in Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, London and York.
From just three founder members, the group now employs more than 180 staff. Ward Evans recognises that it needs talented and committed young leaders in order to achieve its mid-term goal of becoming the biggest and best independent insurance broker in the UK.

Chief officer: Michael Kenney
Biography: Michael K Kenney, 45, is chief executive of Ward Evans Group and managing director of Ward Evans Corporate.

He began his career aged 19 at Bain Dawes (now Aon), before moving to Stewart Wrightson at 21 to become the youngest account executive in the country. During his time with the firm, he was involved in the placement of corporate insurance programmes for manufacturing businesses.
In 1982, he moved to Whitely Henshaw Hindle as senior account executive and was promoted to the main executive board after six years with the company.

Qualifications gained during this time include ONC Business Studies Certificate, Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) Distinction and Member of the British Institute of Management (MIMgt).

In 1992, along with colleagues Martin Ward and Richard Evans, Kenney established his own insurance broking company.

Major shareholders: MK Kenney, MC Ward, RE Evans, I Gillings, G Wilmott, AJK Dawson, N Gunn and P Dempsey.
Main lines of business: Business-to-business service provider focusing on insurance broking and financial service provision.

Special schemes: A special scheme that caters for retailers and small manufacturing and distribution companies. Also insurance for recruitment agencies.

Number of UK branches: 5
Number of employees (average for 2000): 111

Greatest technological advance: The Ward Evans Dynamic Quoting Technology, which has consolidated its insurance sales via both telesales departments and in real time over the internet.