We are pleased to announce that Pikl has appointed former Bluefin and Gallagher boss Stuart Reid as chairman. Stuart most recently worked as UK retail chief executive officer at Gallagher, a role he left in October 2016.
Stuart will focus on sharing his experience and provide leadership to the board to help with the Pikl’s growth strategy and to help raise the profile of the need for specialist short-term letting insurance with consumers as well as the wider insurance industry.
He started his career in broking at Bishop Skinner before setting up Stuart Alexander in 1993. In 2005 he became managing director after buying out his partner. The company sold to Axa in 2007 and he was appointed CEO of the Bluefin Insurance Group in January 2008. He left Bluefin to join Gallagher in April 2015. Stuart has also been vice president of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and chair of the CII Broking Faculty from 2012 to 2018. He was deputy chairman of the British Insurance Brokers Association from 2014 to 2015. Reid, who has previously said he left Gallagher because he was not approved by the FCA, has been contemplating a return to the market since he was exonerated by the regulator in 2017. Stuart is also is well-known to the sharing economy market, having been involved with lobbying efforts that included representing the insurance industry at sharing economy talks and chairing meetings held at 10 Downing Street in 2014.
Stuart commented: “Being at the forefront of innovation in our industry is where I love to be and, with Pikl’s innovative products and approach to a new and blossoming market, I cannot wait to get started. “Without doubt, Pikl has identified a clear gap in the market. It not only has superb commercial potential but will also make a real difference to the millions of people who rent out their rooms, whole properties or even car parking spaces, effectively ring-fencing the valuable income they receive from the risk of theft, damage or liability.”
He explained that his main business focus for the next 12 months will be to provide a link between the board and the senior management to ensure that the strategy is carried out successfully. In addition, Reid said he will be speaking to brokers to “make sure they understand the business opportunities there are for getting into this sector of the market.”
Pikl CEO and founder, Louise Birritteri, said: “It’s a fantastic coup to have secured Stuart’s support. I have known him for many years and believe he will bring so much experience to the Board role, in helping to formulate and execute our strategy and obviously to take full advantage of his many industry contacts built up over his 30 plus years in the industry. “This is another significant step in the rapid growth of Pikl and provides us with the expertise and insight we need to scale up.”
