Chilton restructures Arthur J. Gallagher

Arthur J. Gallagher, the international division of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co, has unveiled a simplified operating structure.

Gallagher Insurance Solutions, the personal lines, private clients and small commercial distribution arm led by Martin Oliver, becomes part of the UK Retail division, with immediate effect bringing all UK commercial and personal lines broking teams into one division.

As part of this development, Oliver will join the UK Retail executive team and report to incoming UK Retail CEO Stuart Reid when he joins the business later this year.

At the same time, delegated authority specialist OIM Underwriting will come together with Pen Underwriting under one leadership team led by Mark Armitage in a newly combined standalone underwriting division. This will afford coverholders and brokers easier access to the wide range of specialist facilities, offering both individual risk underwriting and the ability to agree delegated authority powers.

Mark Armitage will become managing director of underwriting, subject to regulatory approval, and take up a position on the international division’s executive committee, reporting into Arthur J. Gallagher International CEO Grahame Chilton.

Chilton said: “When I took on the role as CEO, I made a commitment to get to know this business before making any changes — so we could determine the right structure, with the right people, to drive the business forward and better support our customers. A clear early priority was to ensure we were correctly and optimally positioned from an operational standpoint, and that our broking and underwriting disciplines were conflict-free, to best facilitate growth.

“The huge potential to cross-sell effectively between our commercial and personal lines broking operations was hampered by these businesses sitting in different operational units. “Similarly, the fantastic opportunity in underwriting to develop and grow our capabilities lacked the joined-up, cohesive structure that would best empower the team to deliver on their potential. Under Mark’s proven leadership, I know the team will achieve just that.

“These operational changes create a clear demarcation between our retail broking and underwriting divisions, align business units with their natural partners and ultimately make it easier to do business with us for customers, brokers, coverholders and insurer partners alike.”