The team
Our administrative base is in Tunbridge Wells, while our management team is split between Kent and Lancashire. Our compliance consultants are based all around the country giving us the geographical spread and reach to deliver an effective and rapid service where it really counts — in our clients' offices.
For more information call us on 01892 539600 or email enquiries@insurancecompliance.co.uk
The ICS team is made up of head office staff and consultants; the majority of senior staff - including our Directors - also act as consultants, meaning we never lose touch with our clients and can remain focused on the issues which matter to them.
Head office team (Click on the names to see a brief CV)Managing Director |
Barry Woodward, FCII |
Consultants (Click on the names below to see a CV)
The lynch-pin of the ICS service is our team of highly experienced compliance consultants who between them cover the length and breadth of the UK thus ensuring they remain in close contact with their clients and can deliver an effective and rapid service where it really counts - in our clients' offices.
North West & Scotland
|
Bill Atkinson FCII - Consultant |
North East |
Richard Bruce BA (Hons), FCII - Consultant |
Midlands |
Rob Cawthorne MA - Consultant |
Northern Ireland |
Stewart Stubbs - Technical Consultant |
Wales |
Rob Cawthorne MA - Consultant |
East Anglia |
Terry Fordham FCII - Consultant |
London, South and South East
|
Phil Edginton ACII - Consultant |
[back to top]
Barry Woodward FCII (managing Director)
Barry has worked in the general insurance market since 1966 as an underwriter, regional manager, development manager and, ultimately, as head of underwriting and claims for a number of different insurers. In 1997 he was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of the award-winning loss adjuster PCS Ltd, with over 360 professional employees in over 12 offices. Barry subsequently sold PCS in 2002 before joining ICS later that year.
His breadth of knowledge and his experience of managing companies makes him well qualified to direct and drive ICS forward. Continuing to combine consultancy work with his role as MD is a deliberate strategy to ensure he remains grounded in the challenges clients continue to face: “While we clearly need to plan for the future, it is also crucial to ensure we don’t neglect the day to day; providing consultancy myself means I continue to see first hand what it is our clients need and the challenges they face”.
[back to top]
Bill Atkinson FCII (Consultant)
During his long and successful career in general insurance Bill has worked in a variety of strategic and operational roles for both brokers and insurers. He began his career with the Royal and in the course of his 28 years with them he progressed through a number of roles including National Sales Training Manager and Customer Service Manager. In 1994 he moved into broking, joining Frizzell as their National Sales Manager and operating the Lloyd’s binders for their affinity schemes. In 1998, Bill joined NFU Mutual as National Sales Manager, later moving across to their broker-only company Avon as Area Manager running personal, commercial and claims units including NFU’s National Recoveries Unit.
Since joining ICS in 2008 he has been an important member of our team and has a wealth of expertise in delivering practical and pragmatic compliance solutions for clients.
[back to top]
Richard Bruce BA (Hons), FCII (Consultant)
Richard started his career in general insurance in 1969 with Eagle Star, progressing to the position of Financial Insurances and Personal Lines Manager. In 1991 he moved to the Leeds office of Eagle Star as Development Manager for the Midlands, North and Scotland for corporate financial institutions such as banks and building societies. In 1998 he was given responsibility for the rolling out of GISC and then, in 2003, Richard was appointed UK Compliance Manager for Personal Lines with responsibility for the implementation of FSA regulation.
During this period Richard was the Zurich Insurance representative on the ABI General Distribution Committee Regulatory Steering Group and assisted partner brokers by holding regular workshops on the (then) impending FSA regulation.
Among other skills, he brings his considerable experience of the ebb and flow of regulatory regimes to supporting and assisting clients in dealing with the changes and developments in compliance requirements.
[back to top]
David Hirst (Consultant)
David’s career in the financial world has been in sales training and compliance with several major companies. He was a regional compliance officer for Allied Dunbar and then Zurich, monitoring compliance and working with sales management for eight years as part of the Zurich investment compliance department. 1999, David elected to become self-employed, working as a compliance consultant for Independent Financial Advisers.
Over the last 10 years, David has concentrated on expanding his compliance knowledge and expertise by developing into the general insurance and mortgage markets, first in GISC compliance and, subsequently, in FSA regulation of insurance and mortgage brokers. He joined ICS in March 2011 bringing a wealth of industry and compliance knowledge and many years’ consultancy experience.
[back to top]
Rob Cawthorne, MA (Consultant)
On graduating from Oxford University in 1977 Rob joined National Westminster Bank as a management trainee. He spent over 20 years in a variety of roles across the Group including strategic planning, project management, internal audit and corporate governance.
Rob joined Ecclesiastical Insurance Group in 2001 as Head of Legal and Regulatory Services with responsibility for ensuring Group compliance. He developed and managed relationships with the FSA (including ARROW risk assessment and thematic visits) as well as with two leading credit agencies, Standard & Poor’s and AM Best. He was also responsible for implementing a highly successful Treating Customers Fairly programme across the Ecclesiastical Group.
Rob has sat on the European Committee of the ABI and the Regulations Committee of the Investment and Life Assurance Group. Having left Ecclesiastical at the end of August 2008 Rob joined ICS where his clients now benefit from his breadth of compliance knowledge and his considerable experience of strategic and corporate issues.
[back to top]
Jennifer Cope BA (Hons), FCII (Research Controller)
Jennifer is a professional researcher, who has held a variety of specialist underwriting and technical posts in both the UK Provincial general market and the specialist London Market property area. She subsequently became a specialist researcher for European insurance company merger and acquisition activity; taking part in a number of due diligence exercises.
Researching developments and monitoring the market is an essential requirement for ICS as it is vital we are fully up to date with developments and able to inform and advise our clients as soon as possible of any issues which may affect their business.
Jennifer’s role since joining ICS in January 2003 is key in this regard as she supports our technical and operational teams with the provision of regular information about regulatory matters, including changes proposed by the FSA and their likely impact on ICS procedures and clients; she also undertakes specific project work as required.
[back to top]
Terry Fordham FCII (Consultant)
Terry began his insurance career with Guardian Royal Exchange Plc. (GRE) in 1967, initially in their London City Branch underwriting team before moving into the claims department in 1982.
In 1988 he moved into the training area (underwriting and claims processing) of the GRE Service Centre before moving on again into the Central Training Unit in 1989. Here he remained until 1996 when he was promoted into the National Partnerships Division where he eventually rose to the position of Head of Training.
Following the acquisition of the company by AXA, Terry decided to take early retirement and develop his own training consultancy - Learning Matters (UK) Ltd. and here he became an approved training scheme accreditor for GISC and a trainer in GISC regulation as well as a qualified NVQ assessor.
This interest in regulation and its impact in the general insurance market eventually led him to join ICS in late 2003.
[back to top]
Bob Goodge (Consultant)
Bob began his insurance career in 1967 when he joined Stewart
Wrightson Limited in the City (later to merge with and become part of the Willis Group) as a professional trainee.
Between 1967 and 1987 Bob held various directorships and:
- managed the risk and insurance requirements of major industrial and commercial clients;
- developed and managed captive management companies in the UK and overseas;
- implemented company-wide computer systems;
- led a trading subsidiary specialising in the provision of insurance and facultative reinsurance services, risk financing, risk management, and captive management services to a worldwide client base.
In 1987 Bob became a director of Willis Corroon Limited where,
as Operations Director, he was responsible for the UK's commercial and
personal lines working practices and I.T.
In 1995 Bob set up his own consulting company Logical Alternative specialising
in the support of businesses in the financial, professional, consulting
and service sectors. Assignments have included:
- project management, strategic and operational reviews, business continuity and disaster recovery planning;
- the determination, documentation, deployment and registration of management systems to the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 for Claims Managers, Insurance Brokers, Underwriting Agents and Lloyd's syndicates;
- advice and support in connection with GISC and FSA regulation.
As an internationally certificated QMS 2000 Lead Auditor, Bob conducted
ISO 9001:2000 audits across the insurance sector for one the world's
leading certification bodies.
We are delighted that Bob has joined our team and is able to add substantially
to the breadth and depth of the general insurance broking experience available
to our ICS clients.
[back to top]
Barry Hammond ACII, MEWI, Chartered Insurance Practitioner (Consultant)
Barry’s career in general insurance broking began in 1964. He has been employed by Hoggs, Willis and Sedgwicks and has held posts up to Country Board level in the UK and Australia. For seven years at Willis he was Managing Director of E.J. Welton & Co. Ltd., Willis' wholly owned Lloyds subsidiary specialising in the wholesale broking of Leisure and Affinity Schemes.
His experience covers all broking and management matters including handling complex corporate accounts, running large business operations, setting up successful new operations, the creation and broking of slips and schemes placed in the London and Lloyds markets and complex claims negotiations on behalf of clients.
In 1999 Barry formed his own risk and change management consultancy and is an Expert Witness particularly able to advise on broker negligence cases.
[back to top]
Charles Maddocks BA (Hons), ACII, CIM Advanced Certificate (Marketing Manager)
Charles began his career in insurance in 1972 on the Royal graduate management development programme then he moved out of the industry into Building Society Management with the Alliance Building Society in 1976.
Here he qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Building Societies Institute as well as becoming an evening lecturer in Building Society Law.
In 1984 he became a Training Manager with Alliance before moving to become Branch Manager for Gateway Building Society from 1985-1986.
In 1986 he rejoined the insurance industry as Sales Manager, Financial Markets for London & Edinburgh Insurance. He remained in this role until 1994 when he was promoted to Sales & Marketing Manager, Affinity Group Operations.
Following the acquisition by Norwich Union he moved into the Corporate Partnerships Division on the sales and marketing side in the role of Delivery Manager. Here he was responsible for providing a full range of services to NU's corporate clients including the provision of advice on general insurance regulatory requirements.
Charles joined the team at ICS in Autumn 2003 and took on additional responsibilities as Marketing Manager from November 2004.
[back to top]
Simon Medwin MA, FCII, FCCA (Technical Director)
In 1973, having gained a 1st class honours degree from Cambridge, Simon began his career in Accountancy working as a trainee for Rank Hovis McDougall. He moved from here to ITT Components Group and then on to Dresser Wayne Europe as Financial Accountant.
In 1979 he moved on to Satchwell Control Systems as Group Financial Accountant before moving on again in 1983 to Van Nostrand Reinhold.
In 1986 Simon moved into the insurance industry as Partnership Accountant for Lawrence Insurance Group - life, pensions and general insurance brokers, where he remained until the end of 2003 by which time he had attained the position of Senior Partner and was fully responsible for the Group's FSA compliance.
During his time at Lawrence Insurance Group Simon developed his insurance knowledge and additionally held the post of President of the Tunbridge Wells Chartered Insurance Institute during the CII's centenary year.
[back to top]
Mervyn Reeves ACIS (Accountant)
Mervyn has since 1962 built a career in management accounting, audit and secretarial work. He has gained professional experience working with such companies as Amoco (Management Accountant), Brooke Bond (Systems Auditor) and MS Instruments plc (Company Accountant).
In 1988, Mervyn was Head of Finance at MCCH Society Ltd, which was involved in care in the community, working with an £8m budget and 500 staff. In 1997, he took up a position as Finance Manager with Dial-A-Ride, a registered charity.
Mervyn joined ICS in late 2003 as Company Secretary and Accountant.
[back to top]
Bryan Stewart FCII (Consultant)
Bryan has over 40 years experience in the general insurance industry, having started his career in 1962 in the Head Office Claims Department of Royal Exchange (later becoming Guardian Royal Exchange).
In 1984 he joined Lombard General Insurance Company as UK Claims Manager leaving in 1990 to take up an appointment as Head of Claims for the Solicitors Indemnity Fund.
He remained in this position until being headhunted back to Lombard in 1998 as Head of Claims, moving on to become Head of Corporate Claims for the Group following the merger in 1999 when the company became Groupama. He was promoted to Group Compliance Officer in May 2000.
Bryan was a member of the Board of the Motor Insurers Bureau (Director of Audit) and was also a member of the Board of Motor Insurers’ Information Centre. He has been an honorary lecturer at the CII Training Centre and has lectured on such topics as:
- Regulatory regimes and the general insurance approach
- Governance and monitoring of outsourced functions under the FSA
- Insurance fraud, money laundering and financial crime
- Compliance and internal audit roles and responsibilities
[back to top]
Stewart Stubbs (Technical Consultant)
Following a career in underwriting and operations management with a leading composite insurer, Stewart spent over 11 years with Forester Financial Services, most recently as Compliance Auditor. In this role Stewart was involved in conducting audits to ensure brokers’ compliance with FSA regulation.
Stewart joined ICS in December 2005. In addition to his general insurance compliance consultant role, he conducts audits to ensure 'Financial Advisers’ compliance with FSA regulation.
[back to top]
Carly Brown (HR Consultant)
Carly gained a degree in Business Management at theUniversity of Gloucestershire. Following university, Carly has 5 years admin experience and joined us in January 2010.
[back to top]
Neil Williams, FCII, FCIM, MNLP (Development Director)
Neil brings a wealth of specialist knowledge from being a senior executive in both an insurance underwriting company and a regional schemes broker.
With over 35 years’ experience in the financial services sector, Neil has worked at senior management level for a number of insurance companies including Royal Insurance (UK), Lombard General Insurance and Independent Insurance Group, in sales, business development and operations.
He spent four years as Managing Director, building and implementing the strategy of Deacon Insurance Services, focusing particularly on the development of the company’s property insurance schemes. He was responsible for the turnaround of Deacon by driving operational and sales change as well as rebuilding the reputation of the company with underwriters.
Neil has always been interested in people and communications and commenced his coaching training by studying NLP (Neuro Linquistic Programming) in 1997. Subsequent to this, he is a Master NLP Practitioner and a Member of the ICF (International Coach Federation).In the last 4 years Neil has used a combination of his business experience and his coaching training to benefit many clients in developing their leadership teams. Whether it is called mentoring or coaching this one to one approach supports managers to develop quickly and get to the next level. Neil is also a supervisor for coaches where the knowledge gained can also be beneficial in supporting changes of culture within organisations.
[back to top]
Linda Hardy (Administration Manager)
Linda is a highly experienced administrator and office manager. She holds a number of relevant qualifications and, since beginning her career in the 1970s, has held a variety of secretarial and administrative roles (including setting up a new export division for a shipping business). She has been a key member of the ICS team since 2003 and provides essential administrative and secretarial support to our consultants, as well as to our sales and marketing and account teams.
Linda also works closely with our Managing Director, Barry Woodward, to help ensure we have the systems and procedures necessary to run an efficient and well-organised business.
[back to top]
Ken Lappin BA, FCII (Consultant)
Ken has worked in the general insurance market since 1972, first with Royal Insurance as Inspector/UK Schemes Manager and then with Allstate/Independent as Personal Lines Underwriting Manager. In 2001 he was appointed as Operations Director to a niche insurance broker with the remit of modernising the business and guiding it through regulation in 2005. More recently, Ken was, until the end of 2010, Group Compliance Manager for the Bollington Group; he joined ICS in 2011.
His breadth of knowledge and management experience combined with a strong compliance background makes him well qualified to advise and support ICS clients in meeting FSA requirements and to assist them in keeping their business strategies consistent with regulation. ICS’s view is that compliance should be part of a firm’s every day business activity and it’s an approach which Ken fully endorses: “Compliance is integral to a firm’s business; I believe acting compliantly is what a successful business does day in and day out.”
[back to top]
Colin Hawes, ACII, Chartered Insurer (Consultant)
Colin began his insurance career in 1978 with Guardian Royal Exchange where he qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 1981. From 1985, he worked for Lombard Continental, rising to the position of Personal Lines Claims Manger before moving to Independent Insurance in 1991. At Independent he fulfilled a variety of senior claims roles, ultimately becoming London Market Claims Manager.
Colin left Independent in 2000 to become one of the founders and part of the senior management team of Fusion Insurance Services, where he was UK Claims Manager until 2006, when he left to fulfil a long-held ambition of establishing his own insurance claims consultancy.
Colin’s now brings his considerable experience of managing claims risk, compliance and performance as well as his extensive technical, legal, regulatory and process change experience to the ICS team. He undertakes Third Party Administrator claims audits for Lloyd’s managing agents and underwriters.
[back to top]
Phil Edginton ACII - Consultant
Phil began his career with the General Accident Group in 1975; he also worked in the London market with Lloyd’s Broker PWS International before moving in the mid-80s to Barclays Insurance. He spent time as an account executive and then in marketing, product design and development before being promoted to General Insurance Compliance Officer for Barclays Insurance Services general insurance division.
In 2002 he became an independent consultant specialising in regulation and general insurance. Since when he has helped to set up an insurance firm in Dublin and worked as full time Compliance Manager for Goss Group general insurance division. He has also worked in regulatory roles for the Jelf Group plc (General Insurance & Healthcare), Goss Risk Management Ltd and Lloyd’s Broker Crispin Speers.
Phil became an Associate for ICS in 2011; he has extensive regulatory and compliance experience and specialises in coverholder audits in the Lloyd’s and company markets.