Ian Donaldson to become CEO of both Autonet and Carole Nash

The Ardonagh Group (“Ardonagh” or “the Group”) today announces that David Newman is to step down as CEO of Carole Nash. David will remain with the business until the end of March 2018. Ian Donaldson will be appointed CEO of Carole Nash*, in addition to his leadership of Autonet.

David Newman said today:
“Now is the absolutely the right time for me to move onto the next phase of my life and career. I have had a wonderful decade at Carole Nash and continue to enjoy a fantastic relationship with the management of The Ardonagh Group. I leave with a real sense of confidence in their plans for the continued growth of the brand.

I have been privileged to work with a fantastic team at Carole Nash and together we have taken the biggest motorcycle insurance broker in the UK and Ireland into a new and exciting chapter, one which I truly believe will see real benefits for clients and exciting opportunities for employees. I wish everyone connected with the company all the success in the world. I will be their biggest cheerleader from the sidelines.”

Ian Donaldson, CEO of Autonet added:
“David has been impeccable in his honesty and professionalism and has supported Janice and I in a timetable and handover which has ensured a straightforward transition. He has had a stellar ten years at the helm of Carole Nash and I totally understand his decision to pursue new adventures elsewhere.

Carole Nash is a hugely important part of The Ardonagh Group family and is a well-run and dynamic business with bags of potential to take an even larger chunk of a market in which it is so well known. Together with Autonet, we employ over 1,000 people across Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Altrincham and Dublin and already we are working quickly to identify the shared opportunities on which this collective force can capitalise.”

*subject to regulatory approval

NOTES TO EDITORS

CAROLE NASH
Carole Nash, whose brand ambassadors include World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea, is the largest motorcycle insurance broker in the UK and Ireland and a specialist brand renowned for quality and service. 400 people are employed at the company headquarters in Altrincham, South Manchester, with a further 30 in Dublin. The company has been based in South Manchester since its formation in 1985 by founder Mrs Carole Nash OBE. For more information, please visit www.carolenash.com 

AUTONET
Autonet is the largest van insurance broker in the UK, with gross written premium of over £140 million. Each year it handles over 1.2 million calls and works with over 30 of the leading and most trusted insurance providers. For more information, please visit www.autonetinsurance.co.uk 

THE ARDONAGH GROUP
The Ardonagh Group is the UK’s largest independent insurance broker with global reach. We are a network of over 100 office locations and a workforce of almost 6,000 people. The Ardonagh Group was created in June 2017, bringing together Autonet, Chase Templeton, Direct Group, Price Forbes and Towergate, with the additional acquisitions of Healthy Pets in August 2017, and Carole Nash and Mastercover announced in December 2017. Our understanding of the communities we serve, together with our scale and breadth, allows us to work with our insurer partners to deliver solutions that meet our customer needs.