Going Places

Brokers

MCE
Wellingborough-based broker MCE, which specialises in motorcycle insurance, has appointed Rachael Gibson as personnel assistant. Gibson was previously human resources adviser with Electrocomponents, where she provided guidance to employees and ensured compliance with corporate guidelines and current legislation. Staff numbers at Northants company MCE have increased by 21% in the last year, boosted, in particular, by a number of former employees of Hill House Hammond, who laid off more than 150 staff in the Northampton area last year.

Beddis & Partners
Birmingham-based broker Beddis & Partners has acquired Wolverhampton-based BW Cooper (Insurance Brokers) Ltd. BW Cooper principal Barry Cooper and two of his senior staff, Linda Grice and Mary Stallard, have transferred to Beddis & Partners' Birmingham office, along with a book of predominantly commercial lines business worth around £3.5m in premium income.

ET Knagg & Co.
ET Knagg & Co. has appointed Elaine Barnes to its commercial team. Barnes has more than 20 years' industry experience, gained with Royal & SunAlliance. Knagg managing director Dave Mackie said he hoped to make two additional appointments, bringing the staff total to 30.

Insurers

Groupama
Groupama Insurances has appointed Andy Heap to its sales and distribution team as head of customer propositions. Heap is joining Groupama from AXA, which he joined in a marketing role in 1999. He became involved in the development of the premier partners initiative and was subsequently appointed premier partners channel manager, responsible for the development and ongoing management of the insurer's preferred broker club. As head of customer propositions at Groupama, Heap will be based in Manchester and will report directly to Amanda Blanc alongside Kate Mutter, head of intermediary development, and Richard Setterfield, who will continue to head the group's affinity and corporate partnership activities.

Canopius
Canopius Managing Agents, the London market insurer and reinsurer, has appointed Clive Watson as managing director with effect from 22 March 2004. Watson will join Canopius having worked for 25 years in the Lloyd's and company markets. He started his career as a broker before becoming a Lloyd's underwriter. Watson has spent the past nine years with Aviva, originally as managing director of its London market operations. In recent years he has held a number of senior positions within the Aviva group on both the underwriting and corporate sides.

AIG
AIG Europe (UK) Ltd has appointed Bruce Bertram as vice president of AIG Global Energy International Casualty. Bertram will be based in London and will be responsible for the primary and excess casualty needs of UK and international energy clients. He was previously vice president and a profit centre manager at AIG Global Energy, a division of American International Companies, based in the US. Prior to that Bertram had undertaken a variety of underwriting and senior management roles and has more than 12 years' experience in energy insurance.

Ecclesiastical
Barry Clarkson has been promoted to development underwriter for Ecclesiastical Insurance Group's broker business in Scotland. Clarkson has been with Ecclesiastical for 12 years and is permanently based in Edinburgh.

Legal
Hassans
Partner Nigel Feetham has been appointed head of financial services at Hassans international law firm in Gibraltar. Feetham specialises in financial services licensing, regulation and structuring. Over the past 18 months he has carried out legal structuring work for Gibraltar insurance companies.

Other
Forum of Insurance Lawyers
Andrew Underwood, a partner with law firm Keoghs, has taken up the post of vice president of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL). Underwood will hold this position for 12 months and will assist the newly appointed president Claire McKinney, a partner with Davies Lavery Solicitors. FOIL was established in 1993 to represent the interests of insurance lawyers employed in both private practices and in-house at insurers.

Verridian Recruitment
Verridian Recruitment Consultants has appointed Nick Vause as a consultant to its specialist insurance recruitment division. Vause previously worked in commercial broking and underwriting. He places applicants across all insurance disciplines, from trainee to executive level.

Lambourn Insurance Services
Lambourn Insurance Services, a subsidiary of Claims Management Group, has appointed Julian Porter as London market business development manager. Porter has more than 20 years' industry experience and has joined Lambourn from ReSolutions International Ltd (RIL), part of Marsh, where he was a senior director. Prior to joining RIL, Porter was a divisional director at EW Payne, the reinsurance arm of Sedgwick.

Junction
Junction, the affinity arm of the Budget Group of Companies, has appointed Matt Munro to head up its business development team Munro has joined Junction from Aon, where he was an associate director within the affinity division, focusing on relationship building with existing clients and new business development. He started his career at Endsleigh.

Mondial
Mondial has appointed Richard Bush to the newly created position of general manager, technical services. Reporting to chief executive Mike Webb, Bush will be responsible for the delivery of all aspects of Mondial's roadside services, including technicians, recovery operators, hire cars, dealer and technical support. Bush has spent his career working in the motor industry, particularly in after-sales. Most recently he held the position of after-sales director for five years at Kia Motors.

Total Accident Management
Total Accident Management, a division of Helphire Group, has appointed Ian Fendt as business development manager. Fendt had previously been business development manager for Aon Motor Accident Management and Natwest Vehicle Solutions, specialising in fleet funding.