Heath Lambert merges businesses

Heath Lambert is planning a "significant push" into the SME sector by merging its commercial affinity and small business division (CASB) into its personal lines division, Heath Lambert Insurance Services (HLIS).

The combined division will be integrated into the wider Heath Lambert Retail division.

The move follows the recent announcement that Equity Direct managing director David Birch will be joining the HLIS team in July as sales director.

Heath Lambert’s specialist insurance services provider for the police and fire services, the George Burrows division, has also added Steve Ferris as associate director.

Mike Owen, CASB managing director said: “Getting closer to our colleagues in personal lines will really enhance our offering.

"Their experience of pure transactional business, underwriting and knowledge in areas such as online solutions will create a whole new set of options for us in the future for existing and future clients.”

Paul Smith, personal lines managing director, added: “I’ve believed for some time that merging the skills across Personal Lines and Small Commercial could deliver real benefits. Our plan is to double the size of the business in the next two years and to widen considerably our footprint.

"We’ve shown in the last couple of years that we have a compelling proposition in the small Commercial space. We now have a structure to allow this business to take off.”