Laurent Matras moves to improve communication

Groupama managing director Laurent Matras says the insurer has “cut out the middleman” to improve communication with brokers.

He has removed account managers and created 12 jobs for development underwriters in personal lines who will speak directly to the broker.

This comes weeks after Matras appointed Kevin Kiernan as personal lines director and Malcolm Smith as commercial lines director – both new roles.

A new planning and pricing team, working closely with the actuaries, will support the new development underwriters.

Matras said: “The lines of communication will be much simpler. The feedback we have had is that it is exactly the model brokers wanted.”

In its commercial lines division, Groupama will retain its front-line commercial sales force to work locally with business partners. A head of commercial distribution, who will report to Smith, will lead seven account managers.

The team will be responsible for Groupama’s SME business.