MGAA Board elections reflect scope and scale of UK MGAs

Following the recent elections ratified at its annual general meeting, the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) has announced its new board, reflecting a broader representation from across its MGA membership.

Chris Harman of Resolution Underwriting Partnership Limited and Lyndsey Thompson of Incorporated Insurance Group Limited have been newly elected to the board. They join Charles Manchester of Manchester Underwriting Management, Jonathan Skinner of Pen Underwriting, Marco Del Carlo of MGA Union and Jeff Turner of Miramar Underwriting as representatives from MGAA Full Members.

Charles Earle, who served as a member of the original steering group that established the MGAA and has served as a director since its formal incorporation, did not stand for re-election. Mark Birrell, CEO of Castel Underwriting Agencies, stepped down from the board before the annual general meeting and will be replaced by Lyndsey Thompson.

Changes to the board election process mean that a maximum of six board members will now be elected from Full Members of the Association and up to six appointed by the board who can bring relevant skills and experience - these appointments will take place at the next board meeting. The final board director place will be taken by the Association’s managing director. This replaces the previous process which saw places allocated to the two largest MGAs in the membership, a representative from each of the market practitioner and supplier memberships and six from the MGA membership.

Speaking after the meeting, Charles Manchester, chair of the MGAA, said: “Our board reflects the strength and breadth of experience and expertise within our membership. This group will work to deliver a strategy that will focus on improving the business environment for MGAs, delivering exceptional value to members. There is a lot to do. Current initiatives include increasing the levels of engagement and understanding within the broker market, bringing more capacity providers into MGAA membership, improving insurer audit and due diligence processes, working on achieving more balanced binding authority agreements and, of course, the new chartered title.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to extend the thanks and appreciation of the board and membership to Charles and Mark for their support and commitment to the MGAA and its members. They have both played important roles in the development of the Association from its early days to today, where we have a robust and progressive organisation that represents the interests of MGAs that write in excess of £6bn of premiums.”

All board appointments were ratified at the general meeting held at Lloyd’s. Votes were cast by full members of the MGAA and the results independently scrutinised by David Matcham of the International Underwriting Association.

Authored by MGAA