Plum continues to expand its underwriting and claim capabilities

Plum continues expansion of underwriting and claim capabilities with quartet of hires and new office

Plum Underwriting, the specialist household insurance MGA, which is part of the Global Risk Partners Limited (GRP) group, has today announced a raft of appointments expanding its underwriting, electronic trading and claims capabilities, together with the opening of an additional underwriting office in Brentwood.

Nick Beckingham has joined as Senior Underwriter in the London office for Plum’s HomeWorks product. Beckingham was previously with Chubb where he was an underwriter supporting the development of independent broker business. He has extensive underwriting, broking and business development experience in the high net worth and private client market.

James Brett is appointed as Claims Manager with responsibility for the management and delivery of Plum’s claim service across its product portfolio. He joins from Lark Insurance where he was the Claims Team Leader within the private client business. .

To support the expansion of Plum’s e-trade underwriting operation, offering products to brokers electronically via the leading broker software houses, the company has opened a new office in Brentwood, Essex, and made two initial appointments to the dedicated underwriting team based there.

Leigh Woodward joins as Underwriting Team Manager. She was previously a Senior Home Underwriter with Prestige Underwriting Services and has over 20 years’ experience of household and non-standard property underwriting within MGAs and Lloyd’s syndicates.

Reece Birch joins as Underwriter. Birch was previously a Senior Underwriter for household and let property insurance with Towergate.

Toby Daley, Technical Director of Plum said: “The expansion of the team and opening of a new office further demonstrates our commitment to providing enhanced access to experienced underwriting expertise and support for brokers. Building on these capabilities affirms our reputation for high standards of service and our appetite for delivering flexible underwriting on complex property risks.”

These appointments follow recent announcements on Simon Lewer joining GRP as Chief Operating Officer of its MGA Division, with responsibility for the development of the group’s electronic trading initiatives, and his appointment as Plum’s Electronic Trading Director, and the appointment of Kris Lee as Head of e-Trade Underwriting.

Further expansion of the Plum team is planned with additional appointments to be announced later this year.

Ends

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Notes to editors

Plum Underwriting is a London-based underwriting agency providing specialist solutions for the UK and Republic of Ireland home insurance market through brokers.

Formed in 2002, Plum provides five specialist home insurance products; Flex, which caters for a wide range of non-standard home insurance exposures, HomeWorks, an integrated household insurance and contract works cover for the owners of high net worth homes which are undergoing major renovation, Amethyst, a worldwide all risks policy for affluent homeowners and Let and Retreat, flexible cover for both standard and difficult to place landlords’ and holiday home property risks.

In addition to partnering brokers on an ‘open market’ basis, where it quotes, underwrites and issues documentation, Plum also issues delegated authority to insurance providers allowing them to white label their products and control the client experience.

Plum’s e-Trade Division is focused on expanding the company’s electronic placement strategy for brokers through the e-enablement of non-standard and specialist home products via software houses, brokers own systems and other third party platforms. Products will be offered as full cycle EDI solutions via all major software houses with brokers benefiting from high quote rates and low operational cost whilst still having the ability to access Plum’s underwriting support for more complex risks.

Plum has been voted a Top 10 Personal Lines Insurer for the past five years in the Insurance Times Broker Service Survey 2010 – 2014. www.plum-underwriting.com

Global Risk Partners Limited (GRP) is an investment vehicle aimed at brokers and managing general agents (MGAs) trading in the UK retail and global, specialty insurance markets.

It was established in 2013 by Peter Cullum, Chairman of GRP and co-investor, and David Margrett, Chief Executive of GRP, who was previously President of Willis Global and Chairman and CEO of Willis Limited.

GRP is backed by private equity firm Penta Capital LLP.

Global Risk Partners acquires businesses and teams that have niche, non-commoditised, specialty propositions and strong profitability.

www.grpgroup.co.uk