A-Plan : Everything you need to know

A-Plan: Everything you need to know

Note: In October 2023, the Howden announced the consolidation of its worldwide broking operations under one unified name. Among these operations is A-Plan. You can find more details about Howden here.

About A-Plan

A-Plan Insurance is the trading name for A-Plan Holdings Ltd, one of the largest specialist insurance distribution groups in the UK. The company provides a range of car, home, life, health, marine, travel, and pet insurance policies to more than 600,000 clients across the UK through over 90 high street branches, spanning 16 counties.

The brokerage firm prides itself on offering personalised services to its customers, promising “no telephone scripts or automated call management systems, no complicated online forms to fill in, and definitely no jargon-filled pages of website to trawl through.”

Howden acquisition

In September 2020, Howden acquired A-Plan Group, the firm’s parent company, in a deal then described as one that was set to create a “UK broking powerhouse.”

The transaction made Howden’s parent Hyperion Insurance Group – the name behind DUAL and RKH Specialty – the fifth largest employee-owned business in the country.

“It was instantly evident from the start of our discussions that we were very aligned on the central importance of people, clients, and insurers, and that we would make for a very natural fit,” said A-Plan Group CEO Carl Shuker. He added that the markets served by the two camps are highly complementary.

Across the group, A-Plan has more than 1.5 million policies in force in 2021, generating £540 million in gross written premiums. Apart from A-Plan Insurance, the group’s subsidiaries include Endsleigh, Assured Futures, KGM, Vast Visibility, Sauce, and Ingenie.

Leadership at A-Plan

Carl Shuker – group chief executive officer

Shuker started his career at A-Plan Insurance in Oxford in 1981 and has held several roles within the company. He became deputy CEO in 2001 and led the first management buyout. In 2008, he became A-Plan’s CEO, rising through the ranks to group CEO in 2021, having taken the business through the Hg MBO. Shuker is ACII qualified and has an MBA from Henley Management College.

Kelly Ogley – chief executive officer, A-Plan Insurance

Ogley was promoted to CEO in October 2021. She previously served as chief operating officer for the brokerage firm. Ogley joined A-Plan in 2016 as senior consultant, after serving several senior leadership roles at Swinton Insurance. These include; operations director, director of call centres and specialist units, head of acquisitions, and head of business change. Ogley earned her MBA at the University of Chester.

Culture

A-Plan puts a premium on the communities it serves. Through its local branches, the brokerage firm joins forces with schools, sports clubs, and local charities to help raise funds for various community projects. In 2021, the company’s employees helped more than 20 local charities.