Oak throw a party


Aon Benfield launches Research Month in June


Underwriting certainly know how to throw a lively party. In their ten-year history - the progeny goes back a lot longer than that, of course - there have been a number of such gatherings, each memorable in their own right.


Party TimeatOak T


he people at Oak


The first took place in 2000 at birth at Le Manoir in Oxfordshire, where fellow guests and diners


at that renowned eatery and hotel were probably happy that the singing and cheering from the Oak party was taking place out of harm’s way in the annex. Each guest was presented on that occasion with an oak sapling - and a swift survey taken on the more recent occasion of their tenth


anniversary party held in London at the Lanesdown Hotel revealed


in association with


that a good number of these oaks are still thriving.


The link between these two events was that the proceedings were on both occasions in the hands of ‘Renfield’ - a renegade butler/valet/Jeeves type rumoured to have been bequeathed as a chattel by the late Tony Lumsden-Cook, founder of Oak Underwriting, to his successor Bob Trott.


Bob Trott TheOakstory inanutshell


2000 ● Oak underwriting opens for business with Tony Lumsden-Cook in


charge in Stow-on-the-Wold, writing its 1,000th policy in less than a year


2003 ● Bob Trott becomes Oak’s new Managing Director ● The Somerville Group purchases Oak in November


2004 ● Andy Rolph joins as Development Manager to increase presence in the North


2005 ● Oak writes its 10,000th policy ● Appraisal service launched ● New head office move to Chipping Norton ● Rebranding - logo and literature modernised


2006 ● Matthew Ward joins as Development Manager for the South ● First satellite office opened in Manchester


Aon Benfield launches research collaboration


R


einsurance intermediary and capital advisor Aon Benfield is bringing together its academic and industry research


relationships under one banner - Aon Benfield Research. The team will provide relevant research material and help reinsurers and insurers enhance their


understanding and management of risks with catastrophe modelling, actuarial analysis and broking expertise.


The global relationships


include Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre, Aon Benfield Hazard Centre in Pretoria, ClimateWise, ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Eurotempest, GFZ Potsdam, HR Wallingford, Lighthill Risk Network, NTU Singapore’s Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management, Risk Frontiers, Spurr Consulting, Tropical Storm Risk and University of Western Ontario.


Aon Benfield Research Month in June 2010 intends to showcase


2007 ● Michael Gregson joins as Development Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland


● Second satellite office opened in London ● Oak’s High Value Home literature re-designed to complement the Family Motor Fleet literature


● New Family Motor Fleet product launched in association with Chaucer


● Sarah Willoughby and Calvin Owen appointed as directors of Oak


2008 ● Change of carrier from Beazley to Brit Insurance Ltd ● Oak opens third satellite office in Bristol ● Revamped Oak website launched 2009 ● Following review, Oak’s household policy enhanced ● New web quote facility and Statement Of Fact for new policies ● Family Motor Fleet Policy enhanced with three-tier product


the expertise, looking at volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes. The inaugural event ‘The science behind hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural perils’ on 15 June will feature a presentation by Professor Bill McGuire from Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre. John Moore, head of international analytics at Aon Benfield says, “Since 1996 we have built strong links with leading institutions and are excited about enhancing our long term commitment to the industry and academics. Organizing and enhancing the global


partnerships under one umbrella


will enable us to achieve our key objectives of delivering relevant and regular research to clients and the insurance and


reinsurance industry as a whole, while supporting academic research and funding by demonstrating its benefits to business.”


Dominic Christian, co-CEO of Aon Benfield adds, “The goal of our further investment and enhanced co-ordination is to enable (re)insurers, their clients, governments and non- governmental organizations to protect and advance themselves in the face of natural hazard and socio-economic risks.”


JUNE 2010 insurancepeople 5


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