Tim Smyth (pictured) was elected to the Managing General Agents' Association's (MGAA) board in January 2026. Six months later, he has been appointed the association's chairman. He succeeds Charles Manchester, who is stepping down after ten years in the role.
Smyth is chair of Bspoke Group. The appointment was approved by the MGAA board.
The MGAA represents managing general agents in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. MGAA chairs are typically drawn from senior figures at member companies. They serve alongside the association's permanent executive team.
The appointment takes effect following the MGAA's Annual Conference, which is scheduled for 7 July. Smyth's chairmanship will formally begin within days of the announcement.
At that January meeting, Smyth was listed as deputy chair of Bspoke Insurance Group. He joined the board alongside two other newly elected directors and four appointed members.
Smyth has more than 40 years of experience in the insurance industry, including CEO and chair roles across the UK market. Over the past 15 years, he has focused on building and leading MGA businesses across commercial and personal lines.
His background spans product development, underwriting, pricing, distribution, affinity partnerships, and regulatory strategy. He has also led acquisitions, business integrations and management buyouts during his career.
Smyth most recently oversaw the sale of Bspoke Group to NFP, an Aon company, in 2025. The deal was among the larger MGA transactions completed that year. He is stepping down as Bspoke Group's chair to take up the MGAA role.
The organisation Smyth is taking over has grown steadily in recent years. MGAA membership rose from 233 to 249 MGAs in the year to July 2025. Market practitioners increased from 64 to 68 over the same period, and supplier members grew from 142 to 152.
The 2025 Annual Conference drew 1,200 delegates. Mike Keating, the MGAA's chief executive, said Smyth's experience and understanding of the MGA market suited him to lead the association going forward.
Keating also credited Manchester with helping shape both the MGAA and the wider MGA sector over the past decade. Manchester served as chairman for ten years, a period during which the MGA sector expanded within the wider UK insurance market.
"It has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of the MGAA over the past ten years and to witness the remarkable growth and evolution of the MGA sector," Manchester said.
Smyth said MGAs are playing an increasingly important role in the insurance market through specialist expertise and innovation. He said his focus would be on supporting members and encouraging the development of future industry leaders.
That role has grown within the wider London Market too. One broker has cited analysis projecting delegated authority premiums will exceed 45% of total Lloyd's market premium by 2027. That trend underscores how central MGAs have become to how capacity is deployed across the market.
