New Gallagher structure to set broker up for ‘next 10 years of growth’

Gallagher’s new UK retail operating structure has been introduced, which the broker hopes will set it up for the next 10 years of growth.

That was according to Nick Harris, chief executive of UK and Ireland retail broking at Gallagher, who told Insurance Times that the new structure is the “best thing for our business going forward and for our customers and clients”.

The new structure has seen the creation of two new trading divisions focused on Gallagher’s commercial and corporate client portfolios.

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.

“I felt that perhaps it was time to have a look at the structure to set us up for the next 10 years of growth,” Harris said.

“This is a plan for the next 10 years and forward and we have looked to move away from a geographical split, where we had a big north and south business, to become much more client focused.”

Harris also stressed the importance of having a regional presence, adding: “Doing it this way allows us to – whether its down in the south west in Cornwall, [or] all the way up to Glasgow or Edinburgh – you can go into a Gallagher office or see a Gallagher person and know you’re going to get fantastic service from a Gallagher employee.

“It’s really important for us we emphasise that we are always going to be in the regions – that is our heartland and we are not going to retreat from that.”

‘Good look’

Harris joined the firm from Marsh in 2024 and reports directly to Michael Rea, chief executive of Gallagher’s UK business.

At Marsh, Harris most recently served as the chief executive of the broker’s Pacific division, a position he took up when the business purchased Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) in 2019.

The role saw him lead operations and trading in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Harris said that after joining Gallagher, he wanted to have a “really good look at what we have got” and that the restructure has been in the works for a while.

He added: “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.”

AssuredPartners deal

He continued that now was the right time to implement the new structure, given the acquisition of AssuredPartners.

The deal, which was completed in August 2025, saw 1,000 colleagues and a number of new businesses become part of Gallagher in the UK and Ireland.

Among the new UK-based businesses are Harman Kemp, Romero Insurance Brokers and CIA Insurance Services.

“We’re doing this from a position of growth, a position of strength,” Harris said.

“It’s not something we’re doing reacting to something. We’re doing this because it’s the best thing for our business going forward and for our customers and clients.

“It also allows progression within the firm, which is something I’m really passionate about – we’ve managed to promote quite a few people internally, which is something we want to strive for.

“So, it’s the right time, AssuredPartners helped shape our focus. There is a lot going on and we thought this was the perfect opportunity to announce this to the market and also to our colleagues and customers.”