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Board
Peter James Robinson, Non-executive Chairman
Peter Robinson retired recently after a career of approximately 40 years in the financial services industry. The bulk of that period was spent with Woolwich plc, where he held various senior management positions including Company Secretary, General Manager UK Business Operations(with direct responsibility for the regional and branch network, marketing and insurance services), Group Managing Director and Group CEO. He launched and chaired Woolwich Life, Woolwich Independent Financial Advisory Services and other insurance/investment related subsidiaries.
Post Woolwich, he was seconded to the World Bank in Eastern Europe and later served for eight years as CEO of the UK Forester Group, the European arm of Canada's largest mutual insurer.
Peter's professional qualifications include Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, and Companion of the Institute of Chartered Management. He is a Freeman of the City of London. Peter is a member of the Audit Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
Stephen Mark Burrows, Chief Executive
Stephen entered the insurance industry at the age of 17, working initially for Sun Alliance, before moving on to Berry Birch and Noble Plc at the age of 23. Stephen was appointed director at the age of 25. In December 1988, Stephen formed Burrows, Keith & Associates Limited, with certain of his colleagues. Burrows, Keith & Associates Limited then became the BKG group of companies and ultimately part of the Group in 2006.
Stephen has focused over his insurance career on marketing and new business within the general commercial insurance industry. For the past 10 years Stephen has carried out the role of chief executive officer and until recently was the chairman of the Company. He continues to sit on the board of all Group companies, together with the acquisition, marketing and compliance committees of COBRA Resource Management and the Nomination Committee.
David Stanley , Chief Operating Officer
David joined the Group in September 2008 and sits on the board of all companies in the Group. A graduate of Leeds University and Strathclyde Business School, David was CFO at Kuju plc leading its flotation on AIM in 2002. On leaving Kuju David acted as a consultant to various AIM listed companies and has been involved in acquisitions, group integrations and re-organisations, IPOs and re-financings. Previously David spent five years working for Thus Plc where he was part of the team which oversaw Thus' flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 1999.
Hannah Poulton, Finance Director
Hannah qualified as a chartered accountant in 1999 before working as an auditor specialising in regulated companies. In 2001, Hannah moved to COBRA London Markets, a former audit client, advancing to Finance Director in 2004. Hannah was appointed as finance director of the Company upon its incorporation in August 2005.
Stephen Michael Bullock, Non-executive Director
Stephen Bullock is a chartered accountant specialising in corporate finance and, in particular, in advising and reporting on public company transactions. Stephen is a partner in Howarth Clark Whitehill LLP chartered accountants, tax and business advisers. Stephen has extensive experience of advising on AIM transactions and acquisitions. Stephen is the chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
David Harris, Non-executive Director
David Harris is chief executive of InvaTrust Limited, which specialises in marketing issues relating to the investment and financial services industry. He writes articles regularly for the national and trade press on investment matters. His current directorships and partnerships include InvaTrust Limited, Character Group plc, Aseana Properties Limited, Small Companies Dividend Trust plc, Manchester and London Investment Trust plc and SDF Productions Ltd. David is the chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
Dominic Wainford, Non-executive Director
Dominic Wainford founded Wainford Holdings Limited in 1997 which he continues to run as an investment company. Dominic joined the board in January 2009 on the back of a significant investment in Cobra by Wainford Holdings Limited. Dominic joined The Tilt Estate Company Limited in 1985, becoming its owner and managing director prior to its sale in 2007. From 2001 to 2008 he was a director of Willowone Limited, a building company employing a range of contractors to carry out building renovations, extensions and maintenance to properties within The Tilt Estate portfolio.
Senior Management
John Lincoln, Executive Director COBRA London Markets, Managing Director COBRA Network
John Lincoln began his insurance career in Lloyd's in 1972 and worked in the London Market for 14 years before joining Anthony Jones (UK) Limited in 1986. In 1991 John set up Lincoln Insurance Services with fellow partner Mark Zandler. The brokerage acquired Tilbury Steward in 1996, before merging with Truman Insurance Brokers in 2001 to form Truman Lincoln Limited. John became Managing Director of COBRA Network in 2005 and in 2007 became Executive Director of COBRA London Markets. John is currently in the second year of a three-year term as a board director of ASCnet, the world-wide user group of Applied Systems Inc., the developers of the Agency Manager (TAM) broker back-office system.
Michael Bowler, Managing Director of COBRA Underwriting Agencies, Finance Director of COBRA Insurance Brokers
Michael joined Legal & General in 1979 and trained as a commercial underwriter before becoming a sales inspector. He left in 1986 for a brief spell at Berry, Birch and Noble plc before leaving with Stephen Burrows and other colleagues to form Burrows, Keith and Associates Limited in December 1988. This company grew through organic growth and acquisitions into a diverse insurance group known as the BKG group of companies. Over 18 years with BKG, Michael's responsibilities as a director have been varied, including the operational, sales, technical and financial aspects of the business. Since 1995, he has been responsible for BKG Insurance Brokers and the financial affairs of all BKG group companies.
Following the sale of BKG Corporate Risks and BKG Insurance Brokers to the Company, Michael became commercial and financial director of COBRA Insurance Brokers. In addition, Michael was appointed managing director of COBRA Underwriting Agencies, tasked to investigate the feasibility of an underwriting agency for the group. Michael is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a Chartered Insurance Broker.
Mark Zandler, Director Group Operations COBRA Resource Management
Mark started his insurance career in 1978 with the Prudential Assurance Company as a motor underwriter and then fleet underwriter in 1980. He passed the HND in business studies at Croydon Technical College in 1981. In 1982 he became the manager of the motor broking department before moving on to be appointed as a fire & accident inspector in 1984 and subsequently a general branch consultant in 1987, a role in which he was responsible for the growth and development of the Prudential corporate commercial account across 3 branches.
In 1991 he left to form Lincoln Insurance Services, an independent commercial broker. In 1997, Lincoln Insurance Services transacted a merger/management buyout with Tilbury Steward Limited to form Lincoln Tilbury Steward Limited and Mark took on the role of operations director. In 2001 Lincoln Tilbury Steward Limited merged with Truman Insurance Services Limited to form Truman Lincoln Limited where again Mark took on the role of operations director, specifically responsible for developing the established corporate account and running the day-to-day financial affairs of the business. In 2006, following a merger with the BKG Group of companies, Mark became the Managing Director of COBRA Insurance Brokers. His role involves the Oversight and control of all procedural and operational matters for COBRA London Markets Ltd and COBRA Network Ltd at the London Office, responsible for the production of management information and Group procurement.
Lee Wallis, APFS, Managing Director COBRA Financial Services
Lee has over 30 years' experience in the financial services sector working both for insurance companies and IFA firms. Lee's experience includes managing sales teams, training and developing staff as well as being a client adviser. Lee was formerly branch manager of the Life Association of Scotland in Croydon and director of Donald Duncan (Life & Pensions) Limited, which he established in 1982. Lee joined the insurance industry in 1974, becoming a successful sales consultant for Scottish Amicable.
Lee obtained the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate in 1994 and the G60 pension qualification in 1999, followed by the G70 Investment Portfolio Management qualification in 2003. Lee is an associate of the Personal Finance Society and is a past chairman of the CII Financial Services Group in Croydon.
Philip Truman, Managing Director COBRA Corporate Solutions
Philip entered the insurance industry in 1984, at the age of 19. His career commenced in the commercial underwriting department of Guardian Royal Exchange, where he was involved in all aspects of commercial insurance. In 1988 he joined a small provincial broking operation, A.J.Lancaster Insurance Services Limited. In March 1990, Philip set up his own general insurance brokers, Truman Insurance Services (UK) Limited.
After 11 years, Philip negotiated a merger with Lincoln Tilbury Steward Limited, managed by John Lincoln and Mark Zandler. Philip was appointed chairman of the resultant entity, Truman Lincoln Limited. Following a strategic alliance with the BKG Group of companies in 2003, the COBRA Group was formed.
For the past 17 years, apart from his role as managing director and more recently chairman of Truman Lincoln Limited, Philip's day-to-day roles have revolved around development and marketing. Following the formation of the COBRA Group, Philip was tasked with acquisitions and marketing for the group and more recently was appointed managing director of COBRA Corporate Solutions. This company was established to focus on and develop broking services for the Group's largest retail clients.
Peter Bright, Director of COBRA Insurance Brokers
Peter joined Norwich Union in 1974 and left in 1977 to join local Croydon broker Francis Townsend and Co. Limited. After running the general insurance division for a number of years, Peter started his own broking business, P J Bright Insurance Brokers in 1984. The business expanded to incorporate life and pensions work and Peter went on to practice as a qualified IFA.
P J Bright Insurance Brokers merged with BKG Group of Companies in June 2000. Following the formation of COBRA in 2003, Peter became a shareholder and director of the group. Peter is now the Group IT Director.
Paul Andrew Bryant, Group Human Resources Director
Paul began his insurance career in 1987 with APIA Limited, a company based in the City of London specialising in professional indemnity insurance for architects, before moving to Willis Wrightson Limited in Kingston and completing his ACII in 1991. In 1990, at the age of 25, he joined Philip Truman as a director of Truman Insurance Services (UK) Limited and together over the following 11 years they built up a successful commercial brokerage based in Hackbridge, Surrey. This culminated in a merger with Lincoln Tilbury Steward Limited in 2001 and the formation of Truman Lincoln Limited. Paul has looked after the Human Resources for the business for 20 years and assumed the role of Group Human Resources Director when the COBRA Group formed in February 2006. His role oversees the internal HR function for COBRA, covering 7 locations and 260 staff, as well as an external advisory role to the member brokers of COBRA Network.