High Five: Catch up on the biggest stories this week

This week’s most read story was Ageas UK planning to make job cuts following its recent purchases of Acromas Insurance Company at the end of 2024 and Esure in 2025.

Ageas said it expects its current level of approximatelty 3,800 in-house staff to fall to just 2,000 by 2029.

• Ageas UK to make job cuts after review of organisational structure

The Biba Conference 2026 hit the headlines after representatives from Unite the Union gathered outside to pressure insurers over pay, warning that workers are prepared to “push back” against below-inflation salary increases.

• Biba 2026: Financial workers call on insurers to improve pay outside conference

The third most popular story centred around specialist MGA Euna Underwriting’s appointment of Nicholas Hartley as head of property and casualty.

Euna said that his appointment is ”an important step for the firm as it continues to strengthen its proposition, offering flexible solutions and best-in-class service for brokers and clients”.

• Specialist MGA appoints ex-AXA leader as head of property and casualty

Next, readers followed the news that Arch Insurance’s UK regional division had appointed Dean King as its new Kings Hill branch manager.

• Arch Insurance UK’s regional division appoints new branch manager

Finally, this week’s top five most popular stories were rounded out by Zurich UK’s appointment of Andy King as head of regional market for the north.

• Zurich UK appoints new head of regional market for the north