Towergate's agricultural underwriting agency, Towergate AIUA, has picked up a team of four senior managers from Rural Insurance Group, Insurance Times can reveal.

The Harrogate-based business has swooped for Barry Wicks, John Beanland, Gareth Rushton and Graeme Glass.

The move comes less than two weeks after Towergate lost a number of key staff from its underwriting division, with up to 12 staff understood to be heading for Gallagher.

A Towergate spokesman said the four-strong Rural team have joined AIUA to develop new strategic relationships and to enhance sales service.

  • Wicks was head of sales and marketing at Rural and has also worked at Richmond House Group, Layton Blackham and AIG UK.
  • Beanland was regional development manager for the East of England at Rural. He will continue to work this region as area development manager at Toweragte AIUA . Beanland previously had a spell at AIUA, leaving in 1995 to be part of the team who set up Rural Insurance Group.
  • Rushton was RDM for the North of England at Rural and worked for AIUA prior to 1995 when he left along with Beanland. On his return to Towergate AIUA he will continue to work the North of England region as area development manager.
  • Glass was previously senior technical underwriter at Rural. At AIUA he will be deputy underwriting manager (non motor) at AIUA.

“We recognise that we are joining Towergate at a very exciting point in its development and feel that this is a golden opportunity for us to continue and develop our careers within the farm insurance industry," said Glass.

"AIUA remains a market leader in agricultural underwriting and we are delighted to be a part of the top team in this space. We have realistic ambitions to grow the business over the coming months and years and feel confident that Towergate gives us the platform to deliver upon this task.”

Towergate Underwriting chief executive, Clive Nathan, said: “By bringing Barry, John, Gareth and Graeme into AIUA, we are firmly stating our intentions to create a market leading proposition for brokers across the country.

"We will work hard to communicate this and to show real benefits to our broker customers in terms of service and a willingness to do business.”