Former Intact commercial managing director lands new role

Health and cash plan provider Simplyhealth has hired former Intact Insurance UK commercial leader Sonya Bryson as its new managing director.

Bryson had been managing director for commercial lines at Intact, but opted to leave to pursue other opportunities in June 2025.

She will now serve as managing director at Simplyhealth. The firm specialises in workplace health and wellbeing and aims to deliver affordable, targeted care that tackles the main causes of absence.

Bryson said: “I’m very excited to be joining Simplyhealth at such an important point in its journey. The ambition to improve access to healthcare and the opportunity to shape the future of Simplyhealth is incredibly compelling.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on the strong foundations in place and deliver meaningful outcomes for our customers and partners.”

Experience

Prior to Intact, Bryson served as commercial managing director at Direct Line Group (DLG) and managing director at NIG, which used to be owned by DLG.

In September 2023, Intact agreed a deal to acquire DLG’s commercial lines operations, including the NIG and FarmWeb brand.

Bryson then moved to Intact, with her becoming managing director for commercial lines in May 2024 and playing a key role in the integration.

Paul Schreier, chief executive at Simplyhealth, said: “We are delighted to welcome Bryson to Simplyhealth. She brings a wealth of experience leading complex, regulated businesses, alongside a strong track record of delivering growth, transformation and customer-focused innovation.

“As we continue to evolve Simplyhealth and strengthen the value we provide to customers and partners, her leadership will be instrumental in helping us deliver our long-term ambitions.”