Following rapid growth across several businesses the insurance programme for this group had not kept pace. Over time the programmeit had become fragmented, overly complex and dependent on a narrow panel of insurers.

The owners were increasingly concerned that the business, now with annualised turnover of £500m, was poorly represented in the insurance market. Longstanding underwriters appeared complacent, relying on outdated assumptions about the risk. Policy terms no longer reflected how the business actually operated, nor its strong risk management culture and good claims history.

Bartlett was asked to review the programme in full: to assess how the risks were being presented, identify whether cover was fit-for-purpose, and whether risk was priced accurately.

We began with a detailed, methodical review grounded in a clear principle: insurers can only price and cover what they properly understand.

Our team surveyed key sites and engaged directly with senior management to build a comprehensive picture of the business. We captured both the quantitative detail insurers expect and the qualitative context they value but often don’t receive — how risk was managed day to day, where responsibility sat, and how the group’s operating culture contributed to their historic claims performance.

This work exposed several material weaknesses in the existing programme. Most notably, the product liability policy contained a condition precedent that removed cover if rights of subrogation (the insurer’s right to take action) were waived against suppliers. Management had been unaware of this restriction and, in reality, could not comply with it given the group’s contractual arrangements and supply chain dynamics.

A separate issue sat within the property programme. A misperception of a particular property had led one insurer to cap their total liability at a level well below the declared sums insured, while also imposing a 20% coinsurance clause — leaving the client to self-insure a significant portion of any loss.

To address this, Bartlett made the strategic decision to decouple the broking of the more challenging property risks from the better-performing liability covers. This introduced genuine competitive tension and prevented insurers from using capacity on one line to dictate terms on another. It required sensitive but firm engagement with incumbent markets that had grown accustomed to controlling the programme structure.

The restructured programme delivered immediate and lasting benefits. Our broking strategy generated savings of over 50% on liability covers alone whilst also securing longer-term commitments from new market participants.

Crucially, restrictive conditions precedent on the products liability policy — including those relating to rights of subrogation — were removed.

Our property surveys, up to date risk information and subsequent informed negotiations also enabled the removal of both the loss limit and coinsurance clause on a key property.

Most importantly, the client has gained confidence that its insurance programme is now understood — not just processed — by the market. Risk is transferred on workable terms and priced accurately. The result is a robust, transparent and adaptable programme that supports the business , with the flexibility to  evolve as the group continues to change and expand.