Four key positions named

Venture Preference (VPL), Axa’s broker subsidiary, has announced the first four senior positions since the purchase of Stuart Alexander, Layton Blackham and Smart and Cook.

Ian Story, finance director at Smart and Cook, is now chief financial officer for VPL.

Geoff Bradford, managing director of Layton Blackham, takes on the role of integration director while Graham Coates, managing director of Stuart Alexander, will now be markets director.

Finally Darryl Druckman, finance director of Stuart Alexander, has been appointed to the role of acquisition director.

The team will report to joint chief executives Stuart Reid, Chris Blackham and Paul Meehan.

The new roles are effective immediately and supplement current responsibilities within the three subsidiary companies. This will ensure the continued stability of the three firms in the run up to full integration, the company said.

Joint chief executive Stuart Reid said: “We are delighted to announce these appointments which clearly show the three brokers that form VP are coming together as one. The new management team is key to the future of VP and will drive our development and growth.”

VP is the UKs second largest SME broker. It operates from 40 offices, employs over 1200 people and controls over £460million of gross written premium.