Price Forbes launches real estate and legal indemnity division with key appointments

Ardonagh Specialty business Price Forbes has announced its entry into the real estate and legal indemnity market, marking a significant expansion of its services, coming with the appointment of key industry figures: Mark Manwaring (pictured above) as managing director of real estate, Craig Taylor as executive director of real estate, and Dave Woolley as executive director of legal indemnities.

Manwaring, who previously held the position of managing director at Aon’s real estate practice, brings extensive experience in managing large multinational portfolios, mid-tier growth clients, and a legal indemnity team.

“I was attracted to Ardonagh Specialty’s ‘can do’ attitude and entrepreneurial spirit,” Manwaring said. “The opportunity to build a practice with a clean slate and the backing of a global organisation is extremely rare. It gives us a unique chance to design a service-driven proposition for real estate investors that is unencumbered by legacy. We will build a practice based on an agile prompt service, a meticulous attention to detail leading to true long term and mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Taylor, with over two decades of experience, has a background in providing insurance solutions to a diverse range of real estate clients, both in the UK and internationally. He has worked across various asset classes and was formerly an executive director in the real estate practice groups at Aon and Marsh.

“In recent years, the real estate investment industry has grown in sophistication; so, too, has its participants’ need for expert advice on risk and insurance matters,” Taylor said. “Having seen the broking industry struggle to respond to this change, I am delighted to have found a platform at Price Forbes that provides our team with the flexibility, room for creativity and entrepreneurial environment needed to rise to this challenge.”

Woolley, joining from his role as director of legal indemnities at Aon, has a history of collaborating with professionals in law, surveying, and property development on significant property and land transactions.

The team establishing this new practice includes Chris Rogers and Jack Stevens, who have been appointed to the real estate client team, and Sarah Cox and Paul Weston as brokers specialising in rights of light and legal indemnities.

“We saw a huge market opportunity to launch a real estate practice based on comprehensive advice, outstanding service and new products – and now we have the right team to do it,” said John Thompson, CEO of Price Forbes. “This may be a start-up team, but they enter the market with the clout of Ardonagh Specialty as the largest independent broker in London. We’re delighted to be the employer of choice for top entrepreneurial brokers such as Mark, Craig and Dave and look forward to supporting them to build a thriving business.”

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