6. Halifax General Insurance Services

Fee and Commission income (2000): £242m
Pre-tax profit (2000): £176m

Address:
Trinity Road
Halifax
West Yorkshire
HX1 2RG.
Tel: 01422 333 333
Website: halifax.co.uk

History: Halifax General Insurance Services (HGISL) is one of the largest insurance arrangers in the UK with more than 2.9 million policies in force.

Halifax General Insurance has undergone significant change in the past few years and, from being predominately an insurance intermediary, now controls all stages of the buying process, from product development to administration and claims handling.

Although the majority of policies are mortgage-related, household and loan repayment products, Halifax General Insurance has successfully branched out into new product areas such as motor and travel insurance.

Committed to growth in the non mortgage customer market, Household Direct was launched on September 1, 1999, which offers stand-alone household insurance.

Chief officer: Howard Posner, managing director and general manager
Biography: Howard Posner joined the Halifax in January 1995 as assistant general manager and was appointed to his present position in July 1997.

As well as being managing director of Halifax General Insurance Services (HGISL), he is also a director of Halifax Mortgage Reinsurance Limited, Guernsey; Halifax Guarantee Insurance, Guernsey; Esure Holdings; Esure; and RAC Insurance Company.

Posner is currently a member of the Council Of Mortgage Lenders Insurance Committee. He lectures frequently on insurance-related topics both in the UK and overseas. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors.

Before joining the Halifax, Posner was general manager and a director of NRG Victory Management Services, the UK holding company of the Amsterdam-based Netherlands Reinsurance Group. Posner joined the NRG Group in 1982 as assistant underwriter and was appointed a general manager in 1991 and a director in 1992. During this period he was responsible for underwriting, marketing, pricing and profitability of an international insurance and reinsurance portfolio.

Prior to joining the NRG Group, he worked with Norwich Winterthur Reinsurance Company and KPMG.

Main lines of business:
Personal lines Insurance: home insurance, creditor insurance, motor insurance, travel insurance
Special schemes: None

Number of UK branches: 800+
Number of employees (average for 2000): 500 +
Greatest technological advance: Roll-out of stand-alone direct home insurance product available by telephone and via the internet.