US insurance giant Lockton has announced a major expansion of its services in Birmingham in advance of an office move from Bank House to the prestigious 45 Church Street complex in early summer.
Chris Hitch has joined from JLT Specialty (formerly Jardine Lloyd Thomson) and will head up the Midlands division of the firm’s Real Estate & Construction (REAC) team.
He said: “Our strength is in the services we can provide not only to property owners, investors, developers and contractors, but also a range of PI products for surveyors and other professionals involved in the real estate sector.
“Our intention is to build a significant REAC business across the Midlands using our connections in the East and West of the region.”
Lockton has further strengthened its REAC division with the appointment of David Smith as an Advisor.
Mr Smith is a director of Derby-based property finance consultancy Strata Real Estate and a founder board member of the Midlands Investment Property Forum. He previously established or headed up a number of banking property finance teams in Nottingham and Birmingham over a 15 year period.
Mr Smith said: “I have been impressed with Lockton’s expertise in the real estate and construction markets, passion for customer service and entrepreneurial culture.
“I am looking forward to working with the REAC team and supporting their ambitious plans to expand the scale of business undertaken in the Midlands.”
The latest announcement follows the arrival of Debbie Day as managing partner in the autumn of 2011. She joined from rival broker Marsh where she spent 11 years working in London and the Midlands.
On her appointment she pledged to recruit several new faces to help grow the business with plans to almost double fee income and increase the Midlands team from 40 to 60 in the next three years.
She said: “The Real Estate offering is a welcome addition to the suite of services provided by Lockton in the Midlands and further strengthens our position as the pre-eminent Broker.”
Lockton is in the top ten of global insurance brokers, with revenues of $790 million (£537 million) and more than 3,800 associates.
The company, founded by Jack Lockton in 1966, has a presence on four continents and in major cities throughout the US, UK, Ireland, Latin America, and Asia. There are 46 offices worldwide including ten in the UK.
