NSM-owned Vantage rebrands as Kingfisher in growth strategy

Specialist insurance provider Vantage Holdings has been re-launched as Kingfisher Holdings following a year-long transformation programme. The broking and underwriting business is focused on the UK specialist risk sector.

The company said that its future development strategy will be based on both organic growth and acquisition.

Kingfisher is owned by US niche insurance specialist NSM, which is backed by Bermuda-based White Mountains Insurance Group. In 2019, Kingfisher handled a gross written premium of £124 million.

The group includes brokers in the specialist risk market covering non-standard lines including motor covering telematics, young drivers, vans, classic and collectable cars, leisure and travel and its managing general agent First Underwriting.

Kingfisher has made a number of new senior management appointments over the last nine months, including Andy James as chief commercial officer and Bruce Gray, chief financial officer at Kingfisher Holdings and Tom Donachie who has recently been promoted to managing director of First Underwriting.

“Having now completed the change and transformation programme with our existing portfolio, we now have the base from which to support growth across our chosen specialist insurance markets," said Jacquie Boast, group chief executive of Kingfisher.

"We believe that our combination of deep-rooted specialist knowledge and market understanding, with our new operating model and capabilities, means we are an ideal home for established best of breed specialist insurance brokers looking to move their businesses forward.”

Boast added: “The combination of talent, technology, and a new operating model were essential to ensure the group’s businesses have the tools they need to meet and exceed changing customer expectations. Kingfisher is all about putting customers at the heart of what we do, enabling them to work with us through whichever channel they want.”