Ken Norgrove (pictured), chief executive of Intact Insurance UK and Ireland, has been elected president of the Insurance Institute of London for 2026-27. He takes over from Richard Dudley, group chief broking officer at BMS Group.
The institute is the largest of the Chartered Insurance Institute's local institutes and serves as a hub for learning and networking in the London market. Norgrove, a Chartered Insurer and fellow of the CII, moves up from the deputy presidency.
His election also marks a switch in perspective at the top. Dudley's predecessor for 2024-25 was Lucy Clarke, president of risk and broking at WTW, so Norgrove arrives after two successive presidents from the broking side of the market.
The presidency adds to an already substantial set of industry roles.
Norgrove is deputy president of the Association of British Insurers and a member of its board, a post Insurance Business reported he took up in September 2024. He also sits on the board of terrorism reinsurer Pool Re and is a former president of both Insurance Ireland and the Insurance Institute of Ireland.
Most of Norgrove's 40-year career has been spent at the business now trading as Intact Insurance. He ran RSA Ireland from 2014 to 2019 and led its turnaround. He then headed RSA Scandinavia from 2019 until Intact Financial Corporation completed its takeover of RSA in June 2021.
Outside the group, he spent three years as chief executive of Zurich General Insurance in Ireland between 2010 and 2014, and a year as a vice president at Travelers.
As UK chief executive, he has since overseen the retirement of the RSA and NIG names, which were replaced by the Intact brand across the UK, Ireland and Europe in October 2025, as Insurance Business reported at the time. Intact describes itself as a top five UK commercial lines insurer and wants to grow its UK business from £2.7 billion to £5 billion by 2030.
In a statement on his election, Norgrove said he was looking forward to working with members across the institute to support the development of the profession.
"In a world of constant change, resilience remains one of our greatest strengths," he said.
He added that by continuing to learn, adapt and support each other, members could help the industry and its clients deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The presidency is a one-year term focused on professional development rather than commercial strategy. This appointment puts an insurer chief executive in the chair after two years of broker leadership, at a moment when his own business is chasing broker-placed growth.
Intact's plan to almost double its UK book by 2030 depends heavily on broker distribution. That gives Norgrove a direct commercial interest in the depth of technical talent on both sides of the placement. His ABI seat also means the institute's president will be in the room for industry debates on issues from motor affordability to terrorism cover.
Brokers are likely to judge the year on whether that combination produces a shared broker and insurer agenda on skills and qualifications, or whether the role stays close to the institute's traditional education and networking programme.
