The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has appointed Ben Fletcher (pictured), director of financial crime at Allianz UK, to its board of directors and as chair of the General Insurance Fraud Committee, as the industry body moves to plug two successive leadership gaps in its committee structure.
The appointments follow the departure of two predecessors. Margaret Scott left the IFB board after leaving Allianz. Adele Sumner, the previous GIFC chair, resigned following her departure from Intact.
Fletcher's appointment is the direct product of a structural change the IFB introduced last year. Under the updated framework, all committee chairs must be drawn from the IFB board. The rule covers the GIFC, the Rules and Governance Committee, and the Membership Committee.
The bureau said the model is designed to strengthen organisational continuity. Linking committee leadership to board membership reduces the exposure created when senior industry figures move between firms, as both recent departures illustrate.
Scott Clayton, IFB chair and head of claims fraud at Zurich, said he was pleased to welcome Fletcher to the board. "Ben brings a wealth of experience, a deep understanding of the insurance fraud field, and a long-standing commitment to industry collaboration," Clayton said. "His appointment will help ensure continuity, strong governance and continued progress in our collective efforts to protect honest customers and combat fraud."
Fletcher said the industry achieves its greatest impact when working collectively. He added that he intends to support the IFB and GIFC members as the sector continues to strengthen its response to fraud and financial crime.
The appointment comes at a point of sustained pressure on the UK general insurance market. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) reported that detected fraudulent general insurance claims reached a record £1.16 billion in 2024, a 2% rise on the prior year, with more than 98,400 cases identified across motor, property, and other lines.
Allianz UK detected £92.6 million in fraudulent activity in the first half of 2025, a 34% increase year-on-year. That operational exposure, accumulated during Fletcher's tenure leading the financial crime function at Allianz, gives him direct working knowledge of the fraud trends the GIFC is tasked with addressing at industry level.
Fletcher will also inherit an active strategic agenda. Last year the IFB launched its five-year counter-fraud plan, Connected to Protect. The plan sets out goals around data sharing, a unified technology platform and closer coordination with government and law enforcement.
Under the Connected to Protect roadmap, the GIFC is expected to play a central role in setting cross-industry direction. It will guide how members respond to escalating fraud volumes and more complex typologies such as AI-enabled claims manipulation.
The IFB operates through a network of member insurers, brokers, and affiliated organisations. It coordinates intelligence-sharing across the market and works alongside the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) to disrupt organised fraud networks.
