Andy Poole is to join the Erinaceous Group after a shock departure from broker Stuart Alexander this week.

He will join commercial property broker Erinaceous as business development director to “develop commercial property sales”.

Poole, who was business development manager at Stuart Alexander, will start work at Erinaceous in the next few weeks, according to Steve Brindley, managing director of Farr, the group’s social housing division.

Stuart Alexander chief executive Stuart Reid said: “We will not be replacing Andy who was with us for three years. We wish him every success in the future.”

It is understood that in his new role Poole will be working alongside Andy Halstead, chief executive of Hanover Park, an Erinaceous division.

In a separate move, Insurance Times has learned that Halstead has been caught up in an industrial tribunal case involving colleague Caroline Elgedawy. This week she won a discrimination claim against Halstead after claiming that he had humiliated her in front of colleagues because of her decision to convert to Islam.

Halstead is alleged to have branded Elgedawy “pathetic” after her refusal to eat non-halal meat.

After a four-day hearing, a Nottingham tribunal agreed she had suffered discrimination. Tribunal chairman Martin Warren said she had been treated “unfavourably.”

The hearing was adjourned to a later date to consider her compensation award.

Hanover Park declined to comment.