RWA Compliance Services | Meet The Team

	Robin Wood (Chartered Insurance Practitioner) – Chairman Robin is the ‘RW’ of RWA. Working initially for insurers and brokers in the London Market he then co-founded and built his own broking firm following some years with a national broker in the 1980’s. Robin served as a Council member of the IBRC from 1985 to 1993 and in 1992, formed Robin Wood Associates, a training and compliance company that supported both the general and life assurance sides of the industry. This culminated in RWA being appointed as BIBA’s compliance partner in 2002 in the run-up to FSA regulation. Robin is an Expert Witness to the Courts on Insurance Market Practice and is regularly consulted on high level issues within the compliance and PI arenas.
	Ian Ritchie ACII – Managing Director In the industry since 1966, initially working for insurers before starting his own broking firm in 1979. This built into a successful business which was acquired by Stuart Alexander (now Bluefin) in 2000. He served as a Council member of the IBRC, from 1994 until 1999. Joined RWA in 2002 and has since helped expand the business, working alongside Robin Wood. Ian writes regularly in the Insurance Press on compliance issues. Away from the business Ian is a keen golfer, a goalkeeping coach at his football club, and despite their recent setbacks, remains a staunch supporter of Southampton Football Club. He is a past president of Southampton CII and a Trustee of the Geoff Smith Foundation, an MS charity.
	Kate Foreman - Director of HR and Training & Development Kate Foreman has been with RWA since 1996 and is a specialist in HR and Learning & Development. She is author of several significant industry publications on Training & HR related matters. Kate supplies specialist HR support to several blue chip clients on a consultancy basis and heads up our HR Support service (BrokerHR) designed specifically for insurance brokers.
	Terence Clark - Head of Compliance Our senior consultant covering primarily North West England and North Wales, although has been known to venture further south on special assignments. He joined the industry in 1980, initially in the IFA sector. Since then Terence has held positions with both brokers and insurers, moving across to the GI arena and subsequently joining RWA in 2008, after spending 6 years as Group Compliance Manager with a large Manchester plc GI broker where he was responsible for FSA compliance for 10 offices. Terence qualified as a Fellow of the Compliance Institute in 2006, has previously chaired the BIBA Compliance Forum and served on the BIBA Manchester regional executive. He is married with two children and when relaxing likes nothing more than a good book and a CD on the stereo (anything from Deep Purple to Debussy, via Bix Beiderbeck). Also a keen supporter of Lancashire County Cricket Club and that rarity, a Manchester United fan who lives in Stretford!
	Michael Whitfield - Head of Business Risk Michael has worked in the insurance industry for the past 30 years, 20 of which have been spent running his own broking and insurance wholesaling businesses. After selling his businesses in 2000, Michael has divided his time between a number of diverse activities, including participating in a new start-up insurance broking business, becoming the Director responsible for IT in a large insurance MGA and even a spell working for the Financial Services Authority, so he brings a lot of experience to the team and our brokers. Michael is also heading up our new Fit For Business? service for those brokers wanting more high level business and broking consultancy assistance.
	Tom Wood - Operations Manager Having started his career selling personal lines insurance products, Tom went on to complete a degree in Psychology & Communication before working his way up to become the Manager of the Key Accounts department of a leading energy supplier and subsequently being employed by an energy & telecoms consultancy. Using his team management, customer service, IT and Training & Competence skills, Tom began working with RWA in 2006 developing their IT systems and procedures and helping create our online learning & assessment platform, The OBELISK, which he now manages, alongside the core Compliance Club offering. Based in Wales, Tom is a keen walker, film buff, sports fan and workaholic; so don’t be too surprised by the late night emails.
	Erika Dredge - Broker Services Manager Erika is RWA’s Broker Services Manager and in that role is often the first contact that firms have with RWA. She ensures that all enquiries to the help desk are answered and liaises with consultants accordingly. Erika spent 8 years working for Commercial Union before starting her family and joined RWA in October 2005 as a member of the helpdesk team, which she now runs. Away from business, in addition to bringing up three children, Erika finds time to be Chairman of the Northampton Scout Group – although she won’t let on whether she has met Bear Grylls yet!
	Tim Street - Broker Services Consultant Tim Street is qualified as a Chartered Insurer and has over 25 years’ board level experience in general insurance practice, corporate governance and business administration in the City of London. He is currently engaged by the RWA Group as a consultant on corporate governance and intermediary compliance, having recently returned from the regulatory authority in Guernsey and participation as a representative on the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Corporate Governance Sub-committee. He previously initiated, planned and delivered a profitable Managing Agency start-up at Lloyd’s, involving the full process of FSA authorisation concurrently with the negotiation and interaction between the main stakeholder parties being Lloyd’s, the Swiss Re parent company and the corporate entity, PRO Insurance Solutions. Tim has undertaken a wide range of technical and business audits for new business acquisitions, dispute resolution and underwriters’ due diligence and was an accredited mediator with CEDR in 1998. For recreation Tim swims, walks and cycles as exercise and specialises in growing orchids for the challenge of waiting 7 years for a plant to bloom. He travels extensively and recently added China to his country list.
	Roy McClurg - Broker Services Consultant Roy has over 26 years experience in the retail financial services industry, including senior operational positions as Director of Training and Training & Competence Officer for a major financial services group. He has been a consultant with RWA Group for over five years during which he has provided Compliance and Training consultancy to a substantial number of general insurance brokers. In addition he has been involved in the creation and delivery of training on a range of subjects for the Chartered Insurance Institute and the BIBA Roy is a huge rugby fan and enjoys a wide range of sports. He has, in a long distant past, represented Mauritius at both badminton and rugby, and played rugby for the army whilst serving (as a civilian!) in Berlin. He also admits to being a Man Utd fan, and fits the generally accepted profile more than does Terence, living as he does in Gloucester!
	Ash Patel - Broker Services Consultant Ash started his career in general insurance broking with a High Street broker, moving to a bank insurance department as a junior executive and later in the early 90’s to a well know SME firm as Broking Manager. These roles helped gain a strong awareness of the broker market and an excellent technical understanding in general commercial risk. In 2001 Ash was appointed as Branch Manager of a Birmingham commercial risk operation and in the run-up to FSA regulation took on compliance responsibility. In 2004 he became the Group’s Risk and Compliance Manager. This opened up further opportunities in risk management and compliance at international insurance brokers operating at board level. In 2010, the large provincial firm for which Ash worked was absorbed, and he thankfully chose the route of many good compliance people….he started talking to RWA! Ash is also a contract Examiner at the International Compliance Association (ICA) and is a member of the CII. Like most RWA colleagues he is an advocate of the values of local CII Institutes. He is currently studying for his degree in Compliance Management.
	Mike Pulfer - Broker Services Consultant Mike has spent his career with Lloyd’s Brokers in the City of London and Sydney. He has substantial administrative experience in most areas of a Lloyd’s brokers in conjunction with placing and servicing FTSE 100 clients for their Non Marine, Construction (for which expert witness), Marine and Captives business, has chaired security committees of Alphabet brokers, been a part time university lecturer for the Chartered Insurance Institute, set up and initially managed their London Market Faculty and recently managed the start up of 2 new Lloyd’s Brokers. Mike is a keen Offshore Sailor, being a Commercially endorsed Yacht master and also enjoys Squash, Badminton and shooting Clay Pigeons.
	Colin Buckland — Broker Services Consultant Initially joined the industry in 1969 working for the Sun Alliance as a Trainee, he joined the family broking business in 1973. He built the business up and sold out to his partners in 1998. Following a short break he has worked in various compliance roles with brokers, joining RWA in 2008. He served as a member of the BIBA Small Firms Systems Committee from 1985 to 1991 and retains a keen interest in computers and broking systems. Away from work Colin is a hockey umpire, railway modeller, owns a canal narrow-boat and has a keen interest in transport generally. Just to balance up the Greater Manchester footballing allegiance, Colin describes himself as a hereditary Manchester City fan, inheriting his father’s season ticket.
	Denise Burton - Broker Services Consultant Denise started working in the insurance industry from the age of 17, where her roles have been varied including Office Manager, Health & Safety, IT Co-ordinator and Accounts Manager. In 2004 she took on the role of Training & Compliance Officer for her employer where she designed and implemented all the compliance policies and procedures for the firm. Whilst in this role she was also responsible for implementing and gaining Investors in People for the firm. In 2008 she left to work as a compliance consultant, responsible for auditing general insurance brokers' processes and procedures.
	Paul Hayle - OBELISK & Operations Support Paul is a specialist in systems and management reporting. He is an expert in Excel and joined the RWA team in 2010 to support the administration and development of our online learning and assessment platform, The OBELISK and its sister platforms, which have grown significantly in users over the last 24 months. Paul previously worked as an analyst for several large UK companies, where he was responsible for building management reporting systems and bespoke billing systems. Paul is also a keen Tae Kwon-Do student and current PUMA English Champion for his grade and class.
	Mac Eddey – Broker Services Consultant (Financial Services)
	Waltham Pitglow - Industry Consultant Waltham Pitglow began working for RWA several years ago when he began writing a very popular CPD section in Insurance Times. He now works for RWA as an industry consultant providing interesting news items, CPD bites and commentary on the industry in his blog. Waltham is 100% on the side of the professional insurance broker so please feel free to let him know of any issues that you might have.