News

Seventeen Group have acquired four brokers across the UK in October: 

UK & Global – A commercial broker owned by James Garrett. James will attach to the Chelmsford office of James Hallam plus retain an existing Cambridge office. Premium income £2M. 

Brian Thompson Insurance Consultants (BTIC) – a Gosforth (Newcastle) based business employing 17 staff and controlling nearly £5M premium. Brian Thompson will continue to run the business with his team and Gosforth will become James Hallam’s ‘hub’ office for the North East. The business will operate under the BTIC brand. 

Nelsons – a Kent based business run by Don and Susan Nelson. 

Nairn – To complement our existing presence in the Highlands we are pleased to bring on board Lynne McSherry and her team based in Nairn. The business becomes the sixth James Hallam Scottish office. 

Commenting on these deals, Seventeen Group Chief Executive Paul Anscombe adds: 

“It has been an incredibly busy year for the Group in terms of acquisitions but this reflects the opportunity for us to expand our UK reach and to bring quality individuals into the team. Having a long term plan for Seventeen Group has certainly persuaded some vendors that we present a good home for their clients and staff. This can compare favourably to some alternatives which may take a small business in a totally different direction via subsequent transactions.”

End of Press Release

For more information contact:
Jackie Knight Group Marketing Director
T: 07824 486319
E: jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk

In light of the unrest and rioting taking place throughout of the UK, we are aware that some of our clients and their businesses may have been affected. We want to do all we can to ensure you are fairly compensated for any loss of earnings.

If you have been impacted by the recent disturbances, please ensure you are aware of and adhere to the requirements detailed under the Riot Compensation Act 2016 (RCA)

Please take note of the key things (but not limited to) within the act:

• The Riot Compensation Act 2016 (RCA) gives victims of criminal damage or loss during a riot the right to compensation.
• If your property is not adequately insured you can claim compensation under the RCA from the local police claims authority.
• Not all instances of damage or loss that occur during a period of civil disturbance will meet the criteria for compensation under the RCA – please ensure you read and understand the criteria
• If you hold insurance for property that is damaged or stolen in a riot, you must claim via your insurance company first.
• Please report new claims as soon as possible to your usual James Hallam Contact or alternatively please contact our claims team direct via the following:
• Email: claims@jameshallam.co.uk
• Report a claim via our Website: https://jameshallam.co.uk/claims-form/
• To claim through the RCA you must:
  • Report the crime to the police
  • Go to gov.uk to access the RCA Claim form
  • Ensure you have the required supporting evidence of the losses you are claiming for – refer to the RCA for more information.
• Deadline: You have 42 days to make your RCA claim from the date the riot ends. If you make an insurance claim first, you have 42 days to make your RCA claim from the date your insurer tells you that you are not fully covered.

If you have any questions or queries on the above, please contact your usual James Hallam contact to discuss.

Seventeen Group are pleased to announce our latest acquisition, Midlands based Gen2 Broking, led by Jon Nottingham, Paul Masters and Paul Dudley.

Gen2 controls £5M GWP and has focused on corporate clients in the Midlands region and beyond.

Seventeen Group CEO Paul Anscombe comments: “Seventeen Group has known Jon Nottingham for many years and sees Gen2 as a very natural fit. We will be building our presence in the Midlands in the years ahead using Gen2 to create a central ‘hub’. The business will be rebranding to James Hallam in due course.

Commenting on the deal Jon Nottingham adds “Building a business over the past 6 years has been uniquely challenging, but we remain committed to genuine independent broking and as such Seventeen Group is a perfect fit for us culturally, and somewhere we will enjoy being part of. Knowing Paul and the team for so many years, naturally makes this a much easier transition.”

End of Press Release

For more information contact
Jackie Knight Head of Marketing and Media
T: 07824 486319
E: jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk

Seventeen Group has acquired East Pennine Insurance Consultants (EPIC) which trades as Fletcher Smith in Sheffield and North East Insurance Brokers in the North East.

The business was originally formed in 1985 and controls £6.1M GWP. There are 9 staff in total, including Directors Steve Brooke and Simon Walton.

EPIC has a strong presence in the motor trade sector and so will become a ‘centre of excellence’ within the Group for this class of business as well as developing wider opportunities for James Hallam and Seventeen Group in the North.

Seventeen Group CEO Paul Anscombe adds: “I am pleased to welcome the EPIC team. This is our first acquisition in Yorkshire and so represents a huge opportunity to build our presence going forward. We have achieved significant success in developing other regional businesses across the UK and EPIC creates additional value through its extensive motor trade knowledge and experience”

End of Press Release

For more information contact
Jackie Knight Head of Marketing and Media
T: 07824 486319
E: jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk

Seventeen Group are pleased to announce the completion of two acquisitions this month.

Firstly, we have acquired Wisemans Insurance Services Limited based in Ashford Surrey. This is a general broker employing 9 staff and handling total premiums of £3.5M. The vendors have been known to Seventeen for many years and both parties felt strongly that there would be a good fit. Previously Seventeen have had no presence in West London and so our plan is to retain the Ashford
office and build the branch.

Secondly, we have acquired one of our Partnership Brokers – North West Risk Solutions based in Manchester. The team are strong on real estate and construction and so much of the business will fall within James Hallam’s Real Estate & Construction Division whilst MD Peter Stevenson will be a
great ambassador for the business in his role as business developer.

Seventeen Group CEO Paul Anscombe adds “we are delighted to welcome our new colleagues into the Group. This has not only extended our regional footprint but brought some great talent into our business”.

End of Press Release

For more information contact
Jackie Knight Head of Marketing and Media
T: 07824 486319
E: jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) is transforming, moving its services to a new cloud-based platform called Navigate. Link here – Replatforming (mib.org.uk)

The first service to migrate is the Motor Insurance Database (MID), with all customer data moving to the new platform by 29 April 2024.

Important

From 22 April, the MIB will reach out to all policyholders who access the MID, sharing a link so you can set up your account on the new platform. To help prevent accessibility issues, please watch out for the email.

You will need to review and update your MID contact information immediately and those with inactive or locked MID user accounts will not receive a link.

Launch weekend

The migration takes place between Friday 26 and Sunday 28 April which means you will not be able to update records until the following Monday when you log onto the new platform.

Changes to user IDs

During the migration process, only one user ID per email address will be carried over, prioritised in alphabetical order. Users with multiple IDs will need to create new ones for additional users, each associated with a unique email address.

Support for your policyholders

To help prepare users for the transition, the MIB has created online training resources including videos and guides:

Policyholder Quick Start Guide
Policyholder User Guide

If you have any questions, please speak to your usual James Hallam contact.

Seventeen Group is pleased to announce its third acquisition of the year, Watford based Jannard Quadrant.

The business was owned by Stephen Sweden and Geoff Callaway, both of whom will remain and eventually move into Seventeen Group’s existing Watford office along with the wider Jannard Quadrant team. Total GWP amounts to £3.5M, comprised mainly of commercial business and including a strong Hotel book. Jannard Quadrant have for many years been strong supporters of Seventeen Group’s MGA subsidiary, Touchstone Underwriting.

Seventeen Group CEO Paul Anscombe comments:

“This was a natural acquisition for both parties. We have known the Jannard Quadrant team for many years, we are both based in Watford and there is an excellent trading relationship with Touchstone. The focus on ‘top end’ hotels also fits incredibly well with James Hallam’s specialism in the hotel sector. I am delighted to welcome the team on board”

End of Press Release

For more information contact
Jackie Knight Head of Marketing and Media
T: 07824 486319
E: jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk

Seventeen Group are pleased to announce the appointment of Roy Standish to the board of broking subsidiary James Hallam with effect from March 2024. Having joined the business in 2019, Standish originally oversaw James Hallam’s Partnership Broker programme before subsequently taking responsibility for Insurer Relationships. Going forward, he will retain these responsibilities but additionally assist on broker M&A as part of James Hallam’s growth strategy.

Speaking about this appointment, Seventeen Group Chief Executive Officer Paul Anscombe adds:

“Roy has been a great friend of Seventeen Group for many years. We were delighted to invite him into the business back in 2019 and now onto the Board. Having previously worked for a major insurer, Roy is uniquely placed to work with our strategic insurer partners to ensure the best outcomes for our clients”.

Roy commented “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the James Hallam Board and look forward to working with our Distribution Partners as well as new acquisition opportunities. It’s a really exciting time as we drive our refreshed Distribution strategy and continue to grow, organically and through acquisitions. I’m really proud to be part of the James Hallam business and helping to build a long term future as a truly independent, specialised regional broker.”

End of Press Release

For more information contact Jackie Knight Head of Marketing and Media
T: 07824 486319
E: jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk