Former BMS boss Spencer resurfaces at UK General

UK General, a specialist personal lines managing general agent (MGA), has appointed John Spencer as non-executive chair.

The MGA was recently acquired by US-based private equity firm JC Flowers.

Spencer has previously held senior roles in the London Market. He is currently the non-executive director at Markel International and Newline Group, and prior to his new role with UK General, was non-executive chair at Argo Global. Prior to that, he was CEO of BMS Group.

"I have always been a keen supporter of the MGA model, and believe it is more relevant than ever in today’s marketplace," Spencer said. "The key to sustainable success lies in delivering valuable insurance protection for customers while maintaining underwriting discipline on behalf of capacity providers.

"These objectives are second nature to Karen Beales [the managing director of UK General] and her team, and I look forward to supporting them as they reinforce UK General’s pre-eminent position in the personal lines schemes sector."

Beales added: "I am delighted to welcome John to UK General and look forward to drawing on his deep knowledge of our industry. Five years ago, UK General was one of the first ‘hybrid’ MGAs, combining a low-cost operation with high quality pricing and underwriting."

"Now, as we stand on the threshold of the next phase of our journey under the ownership of JC Flowers, John will help us continue to push the boundaries of the MGA model and stand out among our peers."

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