Following Markerstudy’s acquisition of Brightside earlier this year, Simon Townsend has been announced as Trading Director, SME. Reporting to Managing Director of Markerstudy Broking, Ross Barrington, Simon is close to celebrating 30 years in the insurance broking sector, within Brightside, Marsh/Jelf, Towergate, and HSBC, to name a few.
The chosen brand for Markerstudy’s SME/Commercial division is One Insurance Solution, which has its roots in Brightside. A key growth area is in affinity and partnerships, with the pledge to live through the brand values of their partners. A new focus will be the digital buy-online needs of the sole trader, and the division has partnered with a leading insurtech on a new data interface platform to dramatically improve the customer experience.
Simon Townsend, said: “Markerstudy Broking will be operating in every distribution channel, online and offline, providing a solution for all SME customers, from micro through to large commercial entities; with a rich product portfolio from basic liabilities through to bespoke, complex commercial combined. A strong digital presence is essential as we look to deliver cover and value for customers who want a seamless multi-product quote & buy offering”.
Ross Barrington, added: “I am delighted to officially welcome Simon to the Broking division. With extensive experience of commercial broking and a solid track record of delivering organic growth, he has exciting plans to shape and redefine our offering in this space”.
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About Markerstudy
Markerstudy Group of Companies, headquartered in Kent, was established in 2001. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, the group has more than 3,500 employees and holds an Investors in People Gold award.
As the UK’s largest MGA, Markerstudy Insurance Services Limited supports over 1,000 broker partners and in excess of 3m policyholders with a wide variety of insurance services.
In 2020, the group became the UK’s 5th largest motor insurance provider following the acquisition of Co-op Insurance’s underwriting business and commenced a 13-year partnership to provide home and motor insurance products under the Co-op brand.
The Group’s portfolio includes the Markerstudy Broking division, which comprises a number of brands including Brightside Insurance and Insurance Factory – one of the UK’s largest affinity based insurance intermediaries for pet insurance.
Also under the group umbrella are Auto Windscreens, VisionTrack and Vision Vehicle Solutions and brands Geoffrey Insurance and Zenith Insurance.
