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Brokers of Ageas UK have been notified of a major development set to take place by the end of 2019. It’s been announced that Chris Dobson, who has been responsible for the firm’s broker distribution strategy since 2004, is retiring.
“After almost 40 years in the industry, I have built some strong relationships both within the business and with brokers,” stated the broker distribution director, whose successor is yet to be named. “I’m handing over to an established team and have every confidence they will further cement Ageas’s support for this channel.”
Prior to coming onboard Ageas about 15 years ago, Dobson was with RSA from 1996 and its predecessor company Sun Alliance from 1979.
“I have seen brokers go through significant change over the years,” said the industry veteran, who shared his thoughts on the broking segment. “I’m always impressed by their resilience as they adapt to the challenges thrown at them, whether that be evolving consumer behaviour, the way aggregators disrupted the market, or the need to respond to regulatory changes.
“It’s a channel that will remain close to my heart and still has so much to offer based on the expertise, experience, and enthusiasm of the people within the market.”
Meanwhile, chief customer officer Ant Middle has nothing but nice words for the departing executive.
“Chris has made a fantastic contribution to Ageas and the whole insurance market for many years, and we all wish him the very best for his retirement,” commented Middle.
“Having been aware of Chris’s plans for some time, we’ve been able to work together to firm up our thinking on his succession and will ensure that we continue to maximise the strong and established relationships we have in place to support our growth ambitions in the broker market.”
The insurer, which enjoyed a 70% rise in net profit to £45.4 million in the first half, said further announcements will be made before the close of the year.
