The Ardonagh Group has appointed Janice Deakin as deputy group CEO, whilst Iain Laws has been named CEO healthcare.

Deakin, who takes up her new position with immediate effect and is subject to regulatory approval, will continue to lead distribution as CEO of that segment, a role she has held since the creation of Ardonagh in June 2017. 

During that time she has overseen the acquisitions of Healthy Pets, Carole Nash and Mastercover, having played a central role in the refinancing and formation of the Group. 

As part of her new role, Deakin will work more closely with Ardonagh CEO David Ross as the group looks to drive value and create opportunity.

Commenting on the appointment, Ross said: “Janice’s appointment into the Deputy CEO role is a hugely significant day for us. That we are able to announce this change today not only reflects the quality of leadership joining our firm but it also highlights the progress we have made in our evolution as a business, moving from fixing to building.

“The entire Group is now poised to benefit from her extraordinary skillsets as a formidable dealmaker, an unshakeable inspirer of people and a really important part of the Ardonagh story.”

As part of the announcement, the firm also confirmed the hire of former Jelf general insurance head Rob Worrell as CEO of insurance broking, who joined Ardonagh this week.

Meanwhile, Laws will join the company in January 2018 and will lead the healthcare segment, a division which joins together Towergate Health and Chase Templeton.

In his new position, he will report to Worrell.

Like Worrell, Laws also joins from Jelf, where he spent the last five years of his career, most recently as managing director of healthcare and group risk.

In a move previously agreed during the group’s acquisition of Chase Templeton, the firm’s CEO Warren Dickson will work with Laws over a period of months into the New Year prior to his departure.

Commenting on the news Deakin said: “When we started to think about bringing together Chase Templeton and Towergate Health, we envisaged the creation of the largest independent health broker in the UK. The combined businesses working in partnership with our Advisory branch network have significant cross sell opportunities, leveraging impressive track records and significant scale across the Group.