Company history
Plan Insurance Brokers is a family run business. It was established back in 1989 by Peter Georgiades and his eldest son Scott. Peter was confident that with his expertise as an independent financial advisor and Scott’s youthful enthusiasm, a successful company could be born. They got the opportunity to realise that ambition when a struggling high street brokerage in Catford came on the market.
The newly formed company was called “Peter Scott Insurance” and specialised in personal lines insurance. To modernise the trading systems they took the then revolutionary measure of dispensing with hand written quote sheets and introduced desk top PC’s. Peter’s faith was not misplaced and throughout its first decade of trading the company flourished. So much so that in 1997 the business purchased Nicholas Paul Insurance and moved to West Croydon.
The advent of direct insurers in the late 90’s had rendered the outlook for traditional brokers relatively bleak so in early 2000 Peter decided to take a step back and his middle son Ryan joined as M.D. Ryan brought with him fresh verve, vital experience of the financial sector and a new perspective. He concurred with his father that on-line trading had completely usurped the role of the broker in personal insurance where policies had become standardised and traded like commodities. He realised that if the business was to remain relevant amidst changing times that a new direction was required. Thus he resolved to move the business towards non-standard specialist niche commercial motor product lines where a broker could provide a demonstrative value.
Ryan identified a small book of loyal motor trade insurance clients that the company held as providing the route forward. He noted that the intricate nature of this product lent itself perfectly to his vision. Therefore in his role as director of corporate relations, Scott was charged with building key relationships with leading insurers to establish a competitive rating panel. The brokerage was also re-branded to become Plan Insurance. This new trading style facilitated brand extensions into additional product lines. This included the newly formed motor trade specialist department Trade Plan Insurance.
Significant financial investment was then made to develop a bespoke in-house computer system that would be capable of instantly quoting several insurers’ rates at once. This was a significant technological advancement for the motor trade insurance market. Many questioned whether it would eventually render the broker’s role obsolete as had been the case with personal lines products. However the nuances of each motor trade policy means that the broker continues to play a vital role in providing expert advice pre-sale.
In 2006, Peter’s youngest son Grant, and only child yet to be involved in the company on a permanent basis, left his successful media career to join his two brothers. He took up the role of director of marketing. On joining he successfully led the company’s focus away from traditional display advertising to on-line marketing channels and oversaw a major rebranding exercise within the company. Grant is responsible for all cross-channel marketing activity across Plan Insurance’s newly formed holding company, The Plan Group Ltd.
Also in 2006 Tony Gutteridge joined The Plan Group Ltd as Director of Taxi Plan Insurance. Tony left the relative safety of a position on the board of a leading taxi insurer to join the broking industry. He brought a detailed business plan to the directors of The Plan Group Ltd supported by over 20 years of underwriting experience in this specialist sector. The brothers were confident that with Tony’s underwriting knowledge, their marketing expertise and a supportive supplier on-board the Plan Insurance brand could be extended successfully in a similar manner to their buoyant Trade Plan Insurance. At the time of writing Taxi Plan Insurance is firmly established as a leading brand within the private hire insurance market.
In 2015 the company underwent its second brand refresh. In the 8 years since its last update the business had moved successfully into several new commercial motor insurance markets, each time creating a new sub-brand. With numerous trading names it was easy for communications to become confused. It made sense to bring the sub-brands together under the principal brand name, Plan Insurance. It was also decided that brokers should be appended in order to make clear the company’s position within the insurance market. So with a reworked logo and modernised website a refreshed Plan Insurance Brokers was unveiled.
Over the years to accommodate its growth, the company has moved premises from Catford, Waddon, Purley High Street and to their current offices on the Brighton Rd. However each time the Directors of Plan Insurance Brokers have sought to provide that personal touch and attention to detail that comes from being taken care of by a family run business.
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