Read our Q&A with Towergate Underwriting’s chief executive

Clive Nathan, chief executive of Towergate Underwriting

What’s your favourite Biba memory?

Attending a seminar on how to be healthy only to find it was all about what your excrement tells you about yourself!

What excites you most about Manchester?

Beating City to the 4th Champions League spot. 

If you could talk to one person in the industry at this year’s Biba conference, who would it be and why?

Syd from Insurance Times, to find out who he really is!  

What message do you want to hear from insurers?

That they concede that “the Market” does not has a life of its own. Rates can go up if insurers execute strategy in a well thought out way. It doesn’t have to be binary!

Insurance Times launched its Fair Fees campaign to lobby against rising broker fees. How do you feel about the increased FSCS levy?

Aggrieved. The charging system is unfair and the burden is weighing too heavily on firms who had nothing to do with PPI misselling.

This year’s conference theme is Opportunities in Adversity. How would you describe the mood amongst brokers?

Most brokers I meet are in a bad mood. Maybe that’s just me? I always find brokers very pragmatic and realistic.

If you could ask keynote speaker Lord Sugar one question, what would it be?

How does he find the time to tweet so much?

Predict who will have the best stand?

Someone beginning with A…or possibly R..or G…or Q. I like to keep in with all our insurer partners.

Consolidation amongst insurers has been predicted. Would this be good for the market?

If it helps rates to go up to the level they need to and lessens competition on price alone then yes.

In a ‘tweet’ (140 characters) explain what the Biba conference means to you?

A chance to meet up with people I haven’t seen for a while and to talk to brokers about what a great season Spurs are having.