Cooper Gay (Australia) has confirmed it has launched a new wholesale division for the Australian insurance market, as initially reported by Insurance Business.

The new Australian wholesale division will serve as a key intermediary between the independent insurance agents and top insurance carriers.

Jon Calverley, MD of Cooper Gay Australia said: “we’re delighted to be able to deploy that resource in Australia through our new wholesale division.  By combining our local knowledge and global capabilities

Cooper Gay wholesale will become a powerful market resource to the broking community here in Australia.”

Cooper Gay’s wholesale division will be run by Jonathan Hyde, who joined the company in July 2013 as read of production. In his new role as head of wholesale, Hyde will be responsible for developing the company’s wholesale business and broker relationships.

With 11 years’ experience in the Australian market, Hyde was previously a broker relationship manager at Lumley Insurance, joining them from Allianz in 2011 where he held both underwriting and account management positions.

Commenting on the launch of Cooper Gay’s wholesale division, Hyde said: “I am excited to be delivering a global wholesale alternative to Australia in 2014.  Our independence and global network will be very appealing to our local intermediaries and I look forward to developing and extending Cooper Gay’s excellent existing broker relationships.”