Experts say Chilton will leave the business in a good place and welcome incoming CEO Simon Matson.
The insurance industry has hailed outgoing Gallagher International CEO Grahame Chilton as a “steady influence on the business”.
Insurance Age revealed earlier this week that Chilton will be stepping down from the CEO post of Gallagher’s UK-based brokerage and underwriting division before the end of the year.
He has been in the position since February 2015 following the departure of former boss David Ross for Towergate.
Stuart Reid, who worked as UK retail CEO of Gallagher between October 2015 and October 2016, described Chilton as a people person who recognised what the team around him did.
“Chily is the best boss I’ve ever worked for,” Reid added.
“He was excellent in coming forward at a difficult time for Gallagher and maintained the business at a very tough time. I have nothing but the highest regard for him and what he did.”
Turbulence
Aviva managing director of UK intermediaries Phil Bayles also highlighted that Chilton had come into the position at a “time of turbulence” where most of the senior management team had left and the broker was in the middle of integrating a number of businesses it had bought.
Bayles noted: “He’s managed to integrate the businesses, which is always a difficult thing, he’s built a strong team around him and now they are growing organically and making quality acquisitions.
“He’s ticked every box in terms of what you would have wanted him to do.”
He also observed that Chilton had been a “legend in the reinsurance industry” before he took on his current role.
“He’s obviously a good leader of businesses and he knows how to hire well and get the most out of the team around him,” Bayles continued.
“He has steadied the ship and the business is now a beacon of stability and has good organic growth.”
Influence
Similarly Peter Blanc, chief executive officer of Aston Lark Group, who has also held the UK retail CEO position at Gallagher, maintained that Chilton had “accomplished a huge amount” during his time in the CEO post.
“He’s been a massive and steady influence on the business, he calmed the whole thing down and made a really good appointment in Michael Rea to run the UK retail business which seems to be all systems go and back on track,” Blanc commented.
“I suspect they’ll be sad to see him go. He has been hugely influential, does it in his own style and has done a fantastic job.
“He’s steadied the ship and it’s now a global powerhouse in its own right.”
Successor
Experts agreed that Chilton was never meant to stay in the CEO position for the long-term and that his departure had been expected.
Chilton will be replaced by Simon Matson who is currently head of Gallagher’s London market specialty and Alesco businesses.
In an interview with Insurance Age, Chilton said: “I have the highest regard for Simon, he was a strong part of my leadership team with the specialty and wholesale business.”
According to Reid, Matson will be a “fantastic replacement” for Chilton, and he praised his ability to retain and win new clients for wholesale broker Alesco.
“He is one of the best I’ve ever seen in his field and I know he will take the business on from strength to strength,” Reid continued.
“But Chily leaves behind a business which is in a much better place than it was when he took over.”
International
In addition, Blanc noted that Alesco had been one of the fastest growing parts of Gallagher over the last few years, opining that Matson had been “the driving force behind that”.
He noted that hiring Matson sends the message that Gallagher wants to be an international business.
Adding: “He has a lot of international experience, which is exactly what Gallagher needs.
“He also doesn’t need to worry too much about the UK retail division because it’s in the safe hands of Michael Rea.”
Meanwhile Gallagher’s UK non-executive chairman Sue Langley has told Insurance Age that Matson, who in his current role leads around 650 people, has “really good managing experience”.
Matson was chosen as successor after a recruitment process involving both internal and external candidates.
Chilton had been involved with the wider Gallagher group since December 2013 when he launched Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers in a joint venture with Gallagher.
He will retain the role of chairman of Capsicum Re after he steps down as CEO, staying in the Gallagher group.
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