Brunel PI Brokers has appointed Ayse Baker (pictured) as director and head of risk management and claims, a role in which she will lead the firm's risk management and claims proposition for professional services clients across the UK.
Baker joins from Wren Insurance Association, where she served as divisional director and head of contracts, supporting architectural studios with risk management, contractual risk review and professional indemnity matters.
Before Wren, she practised as a solicitor with Caytons Law, specialising in claims and contract support across professional services, and has built particular expertise advising AJ100 architectural practices on increasingly complex risk and insurance challenges.
Brunel PI Brokers launched in January 2024 as a dedicated professional indemnity brokerage within Brunel Group, led by managing director Jon Filer and retail broking director Sam Scott, positioned as a fresh alternative for UK SME and mid-corporate professional indemnity business at a point when the class was starting to ease out of a hard market. The firm operates from Brunel Group's Bristol head office and its London office. Baker's appointment continues that build-out, adding dedicated legal and risk management depth to a business still in its early growth phase.
In her new role, Baker will manage a team and work closely with clients to identify, mitigate and manage professional risks, providing strategic support throughout the claims process.
Jon Filer, managing director of Brunel PI Brokers, said the firm is delighted to welcome Baker, describing her combination of legal, insurance and risk management expertise as exceptional and her reputation within the architectural sector as speaking for itself. He said her experience will be invaluable in helping clients manage risk and achieve the best possible outcomes as Brunel PI continues to grow.
Baker said she is thrilled to be joining Brunel PI Brokers at an exciting stage in the firm's growth, and that helping clients manage risk and navigate claims effectively has always been a passion of hers.
Baker's specific track record with AJ100 practices, the UK's largest and most established architectural firms, is a meaningful detail rather than incidental colour.
Architects' professional indemnity risk has become notably more complex in recent years, particularly around building safety and fire safety remediation obligations following the Building Safety Act, and firms operating at AJ100 scale typically carry more intricate multi-party contractual arrangements and higher policy limits than smaller practices.
A broker able to combine legal training in professional negligence with direct insurance market experience is well placed to help such firms review contract wording before problems arise, rather than only responding once a claim has already been notified.
For a professional indemnity brokerage still in its second full year of trading, adding a specialist with a solicitor's background and an established reputation in one of PI's most technically demanding sectors is a sensible way to differentiate quickly in a market where larger, longer-established brokers already have deep relationships with AJ100-tier clients.
Whether Baker's arrival translates into new client wins in that specific segment, or simply strengthens how existing clients are served, will likely become clearer over the coming renewal cycles.
