Carole Nash has recruited former Roadsure managing director Simon Jackson as its new commercial director.
Mr. Jackson’s extensive insurance industry experience includes senior management positions with brokers which have focused on similar markets to Carole Nash, including its market-leading motorcycle business and well established classic car operation.
He led niche motorcycle and motor broker Roadsure for two years (2005-07) following its acquisition by Premium Choice. There he conducted a major strategic and operational review which encompassed all core functions, including marketing, IT, e-commerce, product development and pricing, human resources, distribution and panel operations. He subsequently devised and implemented a major restructuring of the business to create significant increases in cost and workrate efficiency and enable delivery of organic growth.
Prior to Roadsure he spent four years at Budget Insurance Group which included motorcycle subsidiary, Bennetts. He also held responsibilities for Bennetts and other brands as group business development and group e-commerce manager at NIG’s Intermediary Division, prior to its sale to Budget. Among achievements secured in that time was the successful development and launch of the UK’s first transactional motorcycle insurance website. His e-commerce experience is likely to prove particularly invaluable as Carole Nash looks to drive its web presence having made its own carolenash.com site transactional in 2007.
Commenting on his appointment Mr. Jackson said: “Carole Nash is one of the UK’s most respected and admired intermediaries and a market-leader so I’m naturally delighted to take up this position. The company, and this role, are also an excellent fit for my own experience and expertise, particularly in the motorcycle and niche motor markets in which the company excels. The Carole Nash brand commands great loyalty and affection in those markets and the challenge now is not just to consolidate and grow the company’s position there, but to build its audience in other sectors.”
His comments were echoed by Carole Nash’s managing director, David Newman who said: “It was clearly important to bring in someone with solid experience of our core bike business but also someone with the expertise and aptitude necessary to tackle the challenge of extending the Carole Nash brand. Simon more than fulfils that brief with an impressive CV which spans not just Carole Nash’s markets but sales, marketing and distribution functions which will be vital to our future growth.
He replaces Warren Dickson who has left the company after 15 years’ service to take up a senior position outside of motorcycle insurance. Commenting on his departure Mr. Dickson said: “I’ve enjoyed 15 wonderful years with Carole Nash, learned an enormous amount and made some great friends in the motorcycle world. But I felt it was time for a change and that Carole Nash could benefit from the injection of some fresh blood, so the offer of a new position was timely. Having worked so long at Carole Nash it will be a wrench but it’s time to move on. I leave behind a fabulous team which will no doubt drive the business to even greater success.”
Mr Dickson planned his departure with Carole Nash’s executive team to enable the company to plot a smooth transition, with Mr. Jackson appointed during the final weeks of his tenure.
Editor’s Notes:
Mr. Jackson’s appointment is subject to regulatory approval by the Financial Services Authority.
With over 230,000 biking policyholders, Carole Nash is the UK’s biggest motorcycle insurance specialist. It is also one of the biggest players in the classic car sector and has diversified its personal lines portfolio to embrace motor, household and travel insurance. Private motor now accounts for over 10% of its book. It has also moved into commercial lines offering motor trades, professional indemnity, loss of business and many other lines. Its total annual revenues exceeding £70m and it employs around 350 staff at its Altrincham headquarters, Training Centre, Repair Centre and Dublin offices. In this year’s Insurance Times Top 50 Brokers survey (published August 2007) Carole Nash was named as the UK’s 32nd largest broker. The company was founded by Carole Nash in 1985 and sold for an undisclosed sum to Groupama UK, owner of Groupama Insurances, one of the UK’s leading insurers, in December 1996.
Simon Jackson’s chronological career history is as follows:
- June 2005-June 2007 – Managing director, Roadsure Ltd.
- Nov 2001-June 2005 – Product development director, Budget Insurance
- 1999-2001 – Group e-commerce manager, NIG (Intermediary Division)
- 1998-2001 – Group business development manager, NIG (Intermediary Division)
- 1997-1997 – Agency manager, NIG
- Early experience includes assistant agency manager, senior agency superintendent and agency inspector at NIG; Personal lines sales manager and commercial insurance clerk at P W Creamer & Co. Ltd.; and motor underwriting clerk at AA Insurance Services Ltd.
