Sabrina Gordon, Business Reporter

Caribbean insurance broker CGM Gallagher Group has added a new layer to the company's management structure, making room for William Tomlin whose 30 years of business expertise it hopes to leverage.

Tomlin, who has been serving on the boards of CGM's St Lucia and St Vincent subsidiaries is chairman of the Barbados operation, has been appointed group president.

In this role, he reports to CGM's group chief executive officer Matthew Pragnell and board chairman Joseph M. Matalon.

"Over the years William has been integral to the servicing of our large Barbados and Eastern Caribbean clients, and so we have no doubt that his extensive insurance broking expertise will translate well into our growing regional operations," said Pragnell in a company statement announcing the appointment.

Premium income

Tomlin will act as senior advisor on key accounts throughout the group "expanding the scope of his role", the company said, from Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to include Jamaica and the northern Caribbean.

CGM is a regional insurance intermediary and risk management company owned privately by the Matalon controlled ICD Group and Arthur J. Gallagher and Company of the United Kingdom.

The group, according to information posted on its website, manages premium income in excess of US$120 million, employing 150 staff members in nine offices.

Under the revision of its operational structure, CGM's top three executives are Pragnell, Tomlin, and Saundra Bailey who is group managing director.

Pragnell remains the company's deal-maker, responsible for mergers and acquisitions, as well as overseeing daily operations from his offices in Jamaica.

Tomlin will be responsible for building up and maintaining large accounts across the entire group, while Bailey remains in charge of product development/profitability.

Saundra Bailey is responsible for product development/profitability, developing and securing future business across the group.

Tomlin remains on the boards of the St Lucia and St Vincent subsidiaries, whose management will now fall to John Rocheford.

Merger

Rocheford, who has been with CGM for 25 years, has been promoted to executive chairman of the Barbados operation and general manager of the St Lucia and St Vincent outfits.

He was senior vice-president of CGM's group employee benefits division prior to promotion.

Tomlin has been associated with the CGM Gallagher Group since 2004, when his Barbados firm, CGM Insurance Broker, merged with Matalon-owned International Insurance Brokers - in the process forming a new entity CGM Group.

The group operation changed name again to CGM Gallagher on a 40 per cent acquisition by Arthur Gallagher.

Tomlin has served as chairman of CGM Gallagher Insurance Brokers Barbados Limited since the merger.

He also sits on various insurance boards in Barbados' offshore insurance sector.

As group president he will continue to operate out of the Barbados office.

CGM has subsidiaries in four regional countries, but its business dealings span another dozen.

sabrina.gordon@gleanerjm.com

SOURCE: Financial Gleaner, Friday, July 3, 2009