Fee and commission income (2003): £1927m.
Pre-tax profit (2003): £16m
Address: Alexander Forbes House
6 Bevis Marks
London EC3A 7AF
Tel: 020 7933 0000
Fax: 020 7933 0915
Email: info@aforbes.co.uk
Website: www.alexanderforbes.com
Year established: 1988
History: In 1990, Price Forbes started a small operation in London, which in 1993 was put into a joint venture with Nelson Hurst, a niche market insurance broker which was then listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The joint venture focused on retail insurance broking to corporate, commercial and personal clients in the UK.
In 1997 Price Forbes made an offer for the entire share capital of Nelson Hurst. This transaction was successfully concluded in August 1997. The operation was then renamed Alexander Forbes.
In 1998, Alexander Forbes acquired an 80% stake in Media Insurance Services, a direct mail operation in UK. This was followed by the acquisition of Johnstone Douglas, a UK financial planning and employee benefits consultancy and administrator.
In August 2000, the UK-based retail operations of Bradstock Group were acquired. In March 2001, Alexander Forbes acquired the specialist broker Alfred Blackmore, making it a leading professional indemnity insurance provider in the London market.
In June 2002, Alexander Forbes acquired a majority stake in UK actuarial consulting firm Lane Clark & Peacock, which advises on pension funds, employee benefits, investment, insurance and risk management.
Major shareholders: Alexander Forbes Ltd
Main lines of business: Risk and insurance programme management and consulting, insurance and reinsurance broking, alternative risk finance consulting and facilities, claims management, retirement fund administration and consulting, actuarial services, healthcare consulting, personal financial planning.
Number of UK branches: 18
Number of UK employees (average for 2003): 1,600
Subsidiary companies: Alexander Forbes Risk Services UK Ltd, Alexander Forbes Financial Services Ltd, Media Insurance Services Ltd, Investment Solutions Ltd, Lane Clark & Peacock, LCP DC Link Ltd, Chambers Townsend Consultancy Ltd
Chief officer: Rael Gordon, group chief executive, Alexander Forbes Ltd
Biography: Rael Gordon became the group chief executive for Alexander Forbes Ltd (a South Africa registered company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) in January 2003.
Before joining Alexander Forbes Ltd, Gordon was responsible for the development of the Investment Solutions Holdings business from its inception in 1997.
Prior to this he was managing director of Alexander Forbes Asset Consultants, South Africa, and was appointed as managing director of Investment Solutions on 31 July 1998.
In 2002, he moved to Alexander Forbes Ltd, London, as deputy group chief executive and currently heads Alexander Forbes as the group chief executive.
