Insurance broking and risk expert David Whittaker has joined Thomas Carroll Group as its Chief Operating Officer.

Thomas Carroll Group, the independent insurance, risk and wealth management group which recently transitioned into an employee ownership trust (EOT), has appointed insurance broker expert David to lead operations at the company as part of its continued growth and succession planning.

David is the former COO of Aon’s UK Retail Business and spent nearly a decade at Marsh UK, where he was appointed as the first COO of its National Corporate Practice.

David said:

“Thomas Carroll is such a well-known and respected name in the world of insurance that when I was approached to consider the COO post I jumped at the chance. With the business just having gone through its transition to employee ownership, it has ambitious growth plans and I knew my extensive experience in change management could really make a difference here.

“I’ll be leading the Group’s strategy on succession planning, mentoring its future leaders and doing all I can to make sure that the EOT is a success for both the employees, our clients and the wider Thomas Carroll Group.”

David added:

“The in-house expertise at Thomas Carroll is second to none – it’s an institution in insurance broking and risk management, and quite rightly so. Thomas Carroll is a company where words have true meaning, it does care about its clients and its people – it’s not just lip service.

“I have been immensely impressed with what I have seen in my first few weeks here and I’m looking forward to helping the business continue to be one of the best places to work, both in Wales and the insurance sector.”

Following its move to employee ownership, David will join Thomas Carroll Group’s existing board of directors.

Rhys Thomas, CEO of Thomas Carroll Group, said:

“It has been a momentous 18 months for us here at Thomas Carroll. We not only celebrated our 50th birthday but also transitioned into employee ownership and now we have attracted someone of David’s calibre to our team and our board.

“His experience working at the top of some of the world’s biggest insurance broking firms will help us streamline and improve our practices and procedures to deliver and make a success of our newly formed EOT. It will also see us in the perfect position to take on the challenges of the next 50 years in business too.”

Rhys added:

“Succession planning is now key for the future of Thomas Carroll and with David on board helping us plan strategically for the future we will be able to carry on our company philosophy of promoting from within to ensure we have the right people in the right posts to achieve our ambitious growth plans.

“We strive to create a workplace that is fulfilling and exciting, offering opportunities to individuals from all walks of life, while constantly keeping our clients at the centre of everything we do and achieve, as we always have at Thomas Carroll Group.”