When speaking with Insurance Business recently, group CEO of Aston Lark, Peter Blanc, noted that the business has several deals vying for completion in September and the first of these has today been revealed.
Aston Lark has announced the acquisition of Lloyd’s Broker, Brunel Professions (Brunel). Established in 2005, Brunel is one of the UK’s fastest growing and largest specialist professional indemnity insurance brokers.
The business acts for over 7,000 professional clients, and employs around 85 staff across four UK offices, in Bristol, London, Manchester and Perth. As a Lloyd’s broker, Brunel has access to the world’s leading insurance markets and specialises in PII, D&O and cyber insurance, as well as providing an in-house specialist claims handling and risk management service.
Commenting on the acquisition, Blanc said he is delighted to be welcoming Brunel to the Aston Lark family and very much looking forward to working with the team. Brunel has a track record of growth, he said, and this acquisition brings an exciting new dimension to Aston Lark’s current business and strengthens its London Market and specialty capability, as well adding new regional offices into the group in Manchester, Bristol and Perth. He noted that the business will continue to support the Brunel team as it continue its growth in the PI market.
CEO of Brunel Professionals, Russell Lane said that, having started Brunel Professions over 15 years ago, it has been an incredible journey and he thanked the business’s senior management team, colleagues both current and past, insurers and long-standing client support.
“The business has been hugely successful over many years, and the memories will live long in the memory bank,” he said. “It was very refreshing listening to Aston Lark and their future plans, and from the moment I met with Peter and Stuart I knew it was a perfect fit. The businesses share similar beliefs in how clients should be serviced, and I am looking forward to watching from outside of the camp, the future success of Brunel Professions. I have no doubt under the safe stewardship of Dylan (Hughes, MD) and Aston Lark, the future is bright, and the business will go from strength to strength.”
Meanwhile, Hughes (pictured) highlighted his delight at the deal and said he is confident in the strategic decision.
“The thriving business we are today has been made possible through the hard work of excellent staff and support received from senior management, our markets and clients,” Hughes said. “I believe joining the Aston Lark group will be a great fit for Brunel and will only serve to make our future journey even more successful.”
