’We’ve been planning a reordering of our structure for a while,’ says chief executive of UK and Ireland retail broking
Gallagher is introducing a new UK retail operating structure with the creation of two new trading divisions that will align to different client segments, Insurance Times can reveal.
The move means retail will have distinct divisions focused on Gallagher’s commercial and corporate client portfolios reflecting the different needs, scale and complexity of these customers.
The commercial division will specialise in the insurance and risk management needs of mid-market organisations, which are managed by Gallagher’s office network across the UK.
Meanwhile, the corporate division will specialise in large clients and provide tailored risk management and insurance propositions.
Nick Harris, chief executive of UK and Ireland retail broking at Gallagher, told Insurance Times that the move has been in the works for a while and that it is being done “from a position of growth, a position of strength”.
Harris, who joined Gallagher in July 2024, said: ”Obviously you don’t want to come into a business as successful and as big as this and suddenly make dramatic changes.
”So, I wanted to get my feet under the table and have a really good look at what we have got. So, we’ve been planning a reordering of our structure for a while.”
He added: “This move sees us introduce a new operating structure focused on different client needs and better reflects our size and scale given Gallagher’s growth in both these different client portfolios over recent years.
“The new trading divisions will focus on the specific and evolving needs of our different client bases with a shared remit of providing tailored solutions, deeper expertise and great outcomes for our clients.”
Appointments
The restructure comes following the acquisition of AssuredPartners, which saw 1,000 colleagues and a number of new businesses become part of Gallagher in the UK and Ireland.
Read: How AssuredPartners deal will help grow Gallagher’s UK and Ireland arm
Read: Gallagher’s Rea explains why talks to acquire PIB Group ended
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“Now is the right time to introduce this new model as we start to integrate AssuredPartners teams and their clients into our existing operations,” Harris said.
Gary Fletcher has been appointed managing director for the commercial division, having previously headed up Gallagher Retail in the south of the UK since he joined the business through the acquisition of Oval Insurance Brokers in 2014.
He will have six regional managing directors reporting to him who will oversee Gallagher’s existing UK wide office network along with the recently acquired AssuredPartners regional UK presence.
The team includes Steve Risk, who moves from his current role leading the south west to lead London and south east, Mark Kerry, Scotland and Northern Ireland, James Fletcher, the North, Elaine Lennox, the Midlands, Cheryl Phillips, who is promoted to oversee the south west, and Simon Mabb as regional managing director of Romero.
Other trading members of the leadership team will be Doug Pereria, sales director, Andrew Marvin, client services director, and Kat Moon, commercial director.
The corporate division, meanwhile, will be led by managing director Simon Waine, who previously was managing director of the south east and London in Gallagher’s retail division.
He joined Gallagher in 2010 from Lark and in his new role will lead the firm’s services and solutions for large organisations and oversee the specialist practices that look after real estate and public sector and education.
His leadership team will include James Murray, managing director of major corporate, Tim Devine, managing director of public sector and education, and Jon Phillips, managing director of real estate.
“I am particularly pleased we have been able to make a number of promotions from within the business to create this new leadership team, which demonstrates the breadth of talent we have at Gallagher,” Harris said.
His career began in 2019, when he joined a local north London newspaper after graduating from the University of Sheffield with a first-class honours degree in journalism.
He took up the position of deputy news editor at Insurance Times in March 2023, before being promoted to his current role in May 2024.View full Profile
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