Martin Friel

Editor, Insurance Age

Martin Friel has been writing about general insurance for three years, joining Insurance Age as reporter in 2006. Having spent too many years working in nightclubs, he undertook a Masters in magazine journalism at the University of Central Lancashire after which he joined Insurance Age. The magazine caters for the UK regional broking market and places a strong emphasis on being an integral part of and contributing to that community.

Barbara Bradshaw

Chief executive, Institute of Insurance Brokers

Barbara joined the institute at its founding conference in 1987, having previously spent 18 years working for a solicitor specialising in mergers and acquisitions. Barbara was appointed company secretary shortly after the formation and subsequently she became a director responsible for all constitutional and financial matters. Barbara took over the reins of the Institute as chief executive at the start of 2008 following the untimely death of the original director general, Andrew Paddick.

Tony Cornell

Cornell Consulting

Tony Cornell formed Cornell Consulting in October 1999 after a long career with Commercial Union where he was head of broker development. The consultancy specialises in strategic management consultancy to the independent broking sector and distribution of commercial insurance within the UK market. He is the leading authority in the UK in these areas.

Peter Staddon

Head of technical services, Biba

Peter began his insurance career in 1971 and has worked for a number of insurance brokers covering most general insurance disciplines. He joined the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) in 1996 to establish, what is now a highly successful technical services department. He was responsible for raising key technical issues with the media – gaining significant broadcast and print coverage for leading insurance issues. Peter has played a significant role in some of the major issues of the day including employers’ liability and Terms of Business Agreements and he has developed ongoing relationships with various government departments.

Andrew Tjaardstra

Editor, Professional Broking

Andrew Tjaardstra is editor of Professional Broking magazine, the management magazine for insurance brokers published by Incisive Media and which is a sister title to Post and Insurance Age. He has chaired the PB Management Event for the last two years and recently chaired the inaugural UK Broker Summit. Andrew has met brokers across the UK and is well known in the insurance broking profession and the insurance community. Andrew joined Incisive Media on a graduate training program in September 2004 and has previously been senior reporter and deputy editor at Professional Broking.

Alasdair Stewart

Head of corporate development, CII

Prior to joining the insurance industry Alasdair worked at Arla Foods Ingredients in Denmark where he had responsibility for marketing and communications. He joined Independent Insurance in 1998 and subsequently AXA in 2001. Alasdair was responsible for developing e-Commerce strategies for both organisations and managing implementation. In 2002 Alasdair took the position of business development director at Aurora Corporate Services, an insurance TPA, and following its successful sale in 2004, he moved to FWD Marketing where he was a senior consultant. Alasdair joined the CII in December 2008, he has overall responsibility for corporate relationships within GI and manages the business development team.

Clare Ryder

Director, Salient Solutions

With more than 20 years experience in this market, industry consultant Clare has a detailed knowledge of our industry and the challenges it faces, ranging from distribution and underwriting through to claims and suppliers. Clare began her career at Norwich Union where she trained as an underwriter. Subsequent senior positions within the sector, which spanned the intermediary, insurer and claims markets, included strategic planning, business development, operations, and claims and provide Clare with a comprehensive understanding of industry dynamics.

Mike Cranny

Principal, Create Solutions

Mike started at CIS in 1965 in the Motor Department. In 1969 he joined Leadenhall Motor Policies and stayed there mainly in an underwriting capacity until taken over by Highway where he was first branch manger and then training manager.

In 2002 he formed Create Solutions Ltd and since then has concentrated on FSA compliance for general insurance brokers and training for brokers and insurers. Mike has been a tutor for the CII and president of the Manchester Insurance Institute.

He has had a long involvement in education and is currently chair of governors of an independent school and a governor of a number of others. He is a chartered insurer.

Alec Finch

Chairman, AFL Insurance Brokers

Alec Finch is a Chartered insurance broker with over 40 years experience in the general insurance broking sector. In 2008 he led the management buyout of the Lloyd’s Broker AFL from Alec Finch Group following the sale of that business, which he founded in 1983, to the French broker Verlingue. He established Worldwide Broker Network in 1989 and was a founder member of UNITAS in 1997. He is a member of the CII Task Force on professional standards and won the UK Broker Awards “Achievement” award in 2009. He currently holds a number of non-executive positions in the financial services sector.