Aston Lark: Everything you need to know
Headquarters address: One Creechurch Place, London, EC3A 5AF, United Kingdom
Gross written premium: £1 billion
UK locations: Alton, Barnstaple, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bolton, Bristol, Broadstairs, Burnham-On-Crouch, Bury St Edmunds, Caterham, Chafford Hundred, Cheltenham, Colchester, Croydon, Dartford, Derby, Dover, Edinburgh, Exeter, Farnborough, Galashiels, Glasgow, Hove, Ipswich, Kidderminster, Leighton Buzzard, Leominster, London, Manchester, Padstow, Perth, Poole, Romford, Sevenoaks, Stourbridge, Totton, Tunbridge Wells, Turriff, Warrington, Watford, West Malling
Underwriting expertise: Business cover, risk management, employee benefits
Key people: Peter Blanc (CEO), Stuart Rootham (group managing director)
About Aston Lark
Aston Lark is an independent insurance broker with more than 1,800 people in more than 55 offices across the UK. Serving more than 200,000 clients, Aston Lark’s products can be divided into three types:
- Business cover insurance products include the following: art gallery, aviation, brewery, business interruption, building valuations, building warranty, charity, chauffeur, commercial combined, classic motor trade, commercial motor fleet, construction, contract works, cricket & multi-sports club, cyber risk, diplomat & embassy, design & construct professional indemnity, educational establishment, employment practices liability, facilities management, film & media, financial institutions, fire safety, food & drink, funeral directors, haulage & logistics, health insurance for business, health & safety, hospitality, indemnity, leisure & leisure trusts, lost share certificate indemnity, management liability, manufacturing, marine trade, market research, masonic, motor trade, museum, and non-negligence.
- Risk management products include the following: health & safety, occupational road risks, fire safety, risk management, facilities management, and building valuations.
- Employee benefits products include the following: employee benefits, group pension schemes, workplace engagement, retirement workshops, company medical insurance, business protection, group critical illness, group life assurance, group income protection, relevant life, small scheme solutions, flexible benefits & total reward statements, and health & wellbeing.
History of Aston Lark
Aston Lark was born when independent insurance brokers Aston Scott Group and Lark Group merged in July 2018. Throughout the years, the company has worked across all commercial sectors, schemes, and various specialisations. It has also become one of the top five independent Chartered Insurance Brokers in the UK with more than 30 regional offices.
In October 2021, Aston Lark joined Howden Broking Group, creating a pre-eminent full spectrum British broker, with 6,000 employees operating from more than 160 locations in the UK and managing over £6 billion in GWP.
Leadership at Aston Lark
Peter Blanc – CEO
Blanc is the CEO of Aston Lark, the non-executive chairman of Hastings Insurance Services Ltd, and the chairman of the Large Brokers’ Advisory Board at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA).
Blanc started his career in motor underwriting then eventually moved to broking. In 2000, he led a management buy-out of UK commercial division Farr and changed the company’s name to FMW Risk Services Ltd. Under his leadership, the company grew to approximately £25 million in GWP before being acquired by Oval in December 2007.
In 2012, Blanc stepped up to Oval’s CEO role and led the company until its sale to Arthur J Gallagher in April 2014. In May 2015, he concluded a management buy-in of Aston Scott and then led the merger with Lark Group in 2017. He is also the current president of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).
Culture at Aston Lark
Aston Lark is committed to sharing and promoting its values of sustainability and good corporate citizenship with all its stakeholders and local communities while focusing on passion and integrity, being an industry expert, and ensuring that it can deliver.
The company annually hosts the “Teamathlon” to raise money for two chosen charities with causes close to the hearts of the company’s people. Its employees and other participants from Aston Lark partners work closely to compete in either a 5k or 10k run or a 15k or 60k bike ride.
Aston Lark’s corporate charities are Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society, for which the company has raised more than £25,000 in the first few months of 2022.
