Member Article

Ascend Targets Significant Growth Through New Director Appointment

Essex-based insurance broker, Ascend Broking, has made a statement of intent with regard to its future growth, by appointing respected insurance industry professional, David Beswick, as its new commercial director.

Beswick brings 38 years of both personal lines and commercial insurance expertise with him, having spent 34 years with Saffron and four with Norwich Union/Aviva. At Saffron, his record of achievement saw him growing the company’s premium income from £1.5m to just short of £40m.

His drive and expertise in growing a book of business will now help Ascend target £20-£25m in premium income, whilst retaining its reputation for taking care of its customers, its staff and the wider community.

Beswick will work closely with Ascend’s managing director, Matthew Collins, whose vision, personality and ethics were a major reason for him being attracted to the new role at Ascend. This role will encompass client acquisition, team-building and growth strategies.

The challenge is not lost on Ascend’s new commercial director, at a time when Covid-19 continues to have major market impacts and the hard market continues to make life difficult for brokers. The aim will be to champion the role of the independent broker still further, at a time when consolidation is threatening the existence of independent specialists who offer best advice, open market access, informed analysis of risks and first-class service and claims handling.

Growth will be very much focused on acquiring new clients and staff with a book of business within a 50-60-mile radius of Chelmsford, so Ascend can continue its journey towards being the award-winning independent broker of choice within both its heartland and the footprint of wider Essex.

Having encountered most situations during his career, Beswick is sure all hurdles to growth can be overcome and targets attained. The commitment to corporate social responsibility will also remain high, with this being viewed by the entire executive team at Ascend Broking as a differentiator within the market, demonstrating a local broker’s concern for the issues that matter to the clients with whom they are so closely connected.

David Beswick says: “These are tough times but it was the right time for me to get back into the insurance market and take up a new challenge. Ascend, with Matthew Collins at the helm, was absolutely the right business for me to join. I have huge respect for Matthew, as both a businessperson and an individual, and there is no other brokerage I would rather help grow and take to new levels of success. This is an exciting period both for my career and for Ascend Broking.”

Matthew Collins adds, “We are delighted to have David on board, bringing all his expertise and insight to the table. We feel it is a statement of intent to have someone of his ability join us as commercial director and we are looking forward to this dynamic new chapter in Ascend’s history.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jane Hunt .