On the move: the latest East Midlands hires
Lougborough-based Anthony James Insurance Brokers has added Janette Gadd as account manager.
Gadd’s appointment comes at a time of expansion for the Loughborough based commercial insurance specialist, which now has a team of over 25 following last month’s recruitment of James Hopkin, Michelle Goulding, Greg Sands and Mat Kiff.
Gadd has over 25 years of experience in the Leicestershire insurance market, working for companies such as RSA, Aviva and NIG. For the past decade she has worked with a local insurance broker with a specialism in the motor fleet and trade sector.
Managing director Steve Boorman said: “We are delighted to welcome Janette to our growing team here in Loughborough. Janette’s wealth of knowledge and broad expertise will be a great benefit to our colleagues and clients and our close partnerships with them.
“Anthony James prides itself on the strength of our people and we have been adding to our team considerably this year which has been one of very positive growth for us. Our growing team also requires extra space, which is something we have been working on in the latter part of the year as we expand our footprint here at our Princes Court HQ.
“There are many challenges but also opportunities in the insurance industry as a result of the events of this year and being able to support our clients through this time with the right advice and support is key. That means having the best people working together in the best possible environment to deliver a high quality service to our clients. Janette is a big part of that.’
Gadd added: “I’ve worked in the Leicestershire insurance sector for many years and the team at Anthony James has always enjoyed a reputation for excellence. I am very proud to be joining this growing team which is full of highly qualified insurance brokers, each with their own specialist area of expertise. Of course the key unifying skill and drive has to be customer care and that is very much at the heart of the culture here. I am looking forward to being a part of that.”
Claire Bicknell and Andy Middleton
Catena Network, the “matchmaking” service for businesses, has appointed Andy Middleton as director of its expanded Nottingham territory, Nottingham Too.
Having acquired the franchise, Middleston will focus expanding the local Catena offering across Nottinghamshire, freeing up founder Claire Bicknell to focus on growing the franchise network across the UK.
Middleton previously worked in the print industry, having set up Ginger Root Creative Agency and Print House, and will be harnessing his marketing and sales skills as part of his new role with Catena and his own new business, AMSN, which helps businesses increase their brand awareness through sales lead generation.
He said: “I’ve been a Catena member for many years and when Claire told me that she was expanding the franchise and that Nottingham could be available I jumped at the chance to get involved as the market is so vibrant and full of potential.
“Right now, networking is facing its own challenges with the postponement of physical meetings and the rise of the online model but that is something Catena has totally embraced. When it is done right, networking is about making genuine connections and forging alliances, not simply swapping business cards -virtual or not. It is a strategic part of the sales and marketing strategy and that is what we aim to do with Catena.”
Bicknell added: “As Andy says, networking is going through a bit of an evolution right now. We’ve all got used to the Zooms, Hangouts and Teams chats and they can be fantastic when they are properly monitored as they allow for very focused discussion as well as the wider topical debates.
“Since adding the online offering we’ve actually found more and more people joining our local meetings from right across the country and we can see the appetite is there to kickstart the classic physical meetings again once we are able. In order to do that I am going to be focusing on finding strategic partners to help deliver the Catena model locally and Andy is a fantastic addition to the team to help us to do just that.”
