Communication and entrepreneurial skills are seen as the most important skills that UK MGAs require of their employees according to the third MGAA Matters Survey1. When asked what are key employee business skills – over and above literacy and numeracy – 89% of respondents cited communication. Negotiation (49%), sales (46%), IT (46%) followed in order […]

Castel joins The Bureau to maximise operational efficiency As part of Castel Underwriting Agency’s strategy to maximise operating efficiency, the club-style MGA platform has this week joined the London Market Bureau.  Initially providing access to Altitude Risk Partners (ARP), its aerospace underwriting business, in future new Castel cells will also join The Bureau when launched. […]

40% of UK MGAs are either currently involved in mergers and acquisitions or planning to pursue M&A opportunities during the next three years in order to grow, according to the second MGAA Matters survey. MGAA Matters is a research-based partnership between the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) and MGA start-up specialists Castel Underwriting Agencies (Castel). […]

Altitude Risk Partners, the global aviation and space underwriting business, has appointed former broker Charles Hollingworth as an underwriter. Hollingworth, who joined from Aon Risk Solutions where he was a products and aerospace broker, will work with the London-based team to develop and underwrite Altitude’s portfolio of quality worldwide aerospace risks. Altitude was launched earlier […]

Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited (Castel), the club-style MGA formation platform, has been short-listed in the Launch of the Year category of the 2014 Insider Honours awards. According to the judges, they were looking for companies that could demonstrate success in contributing to the global (re)insurance market in its short lifetime and prove the efficacy of […]