Over the past 18 months, Lombard Commercial has evolved into more than just an underwriter of commercial insurance. The business, which falls within the Lombard Insurance stable, has diversified into hospitality and select personal lines and is looking to broaden its offering even further.
“As our focus expands into other areas, we feel the name Lombard Commercial doesn’t quite cover everything that we do,” says Lombard Broker Partners’ Head, Daryl de Vos. “We have evolved beyond just being a commercial insurer into a broader general insurance operation. In our industry, perception is very important. By retaining the old name we feel we would be pigeon-holed as a purely commercial insurer.”
Lombard Broker Partners will continue to operate alongside the other UMA partners in the Lombard Partnerships environment.
“It’s exciting to see an important Lombard business mature and grow,” says Doug Laburn, head of Lombard Partnerships. “The clearer description the name change brings enables an even more positive market positioning for the group.”
De Vos says the new name will make it easier for brokers to sell Lombard products as they won’t be bound or restricted by the “commercial” designation.
“We will continue to enhance our product offering as a general insurer, supported by the good, old-fashioned service that brokers have become accustomed to and ongoing investment in data-driven risk insight,” he says.
Lombard Broker Partners will continue to operate and build from its four current geographic bases, namely Gauteng, KZN, Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
“We are committed to the regions we operate in,” says De Vos. “Having people on the ground definitely has its benefits.”
The name change is effective immediately and will be rolled out to the market over the next couple of months.
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