Head of SME in City of London

Location: South East (Hybrid)

Package: Six-Figure Base Salary + Bonus + Long-Term Incentive Plan

The Opportunity

Our client is a highly profitable, entrepreneurial insurance broker entering an exciting new phase of growth following a private equity-backed acquisition. With an established market-leading position, strong brand recognition and an experienced executive leadership team already in place, the business has ambitious plans to significantly expand its market presence, diversify its product offering and drive substantial EBITDA growth over the next three to five years. As part of these plans, the business is seeking an experienced Head of SME to lead the development and execution of its SME strategy. This is a high-profile leadership position offering the opportunity to build and scale a significant new revenue stream whilst playing a key role in the wider transformation of the organisation.

This opportunity is specifically aimed at individuals who have built their careers within the insurance broking sector and possess a strong understanding of SME customers, broker-led distribution, insurer relationships and commercial growth strategies.

About the Business

The company has built a highly successful specialist insurance proposition and currently generates approximately £20m EBITDA. Backed by significant investment and an ambitious growth strategy, the business aims to more than triple profitability through a combination of:

• Organic growth
• Product diversification
• Technology innovation
• Strategic acquisitions

A key component of this growth strategy is the expansion into the SME market, leveraging an established customer base, strong brand recognition and significant distribution capabilities to create a market-leading SME proposition. This is not a start-up proposition; it is an opportunity to build upon an already successful platform with substantial investment and executive support behind it.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Executive Leadership Team, the Head of SME will take ownership of developing, launching and scaling the SME division.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute the overall SME growth strategy.
• Build a scalable SME proposition capable of delivering sustainable and profitable growth.
• Identify and develop cross-selling opportunities across the existing customer base.
• Work closely with underwriting, distribution, operations, technology and marketing teams to deliver strategic objectives.
• Develop new products, propositions and routes to market.
• Drive customer acquisition, retention and customer lifetime value initiatives.
• Establish and maintain key insurer, capacity provider and strategic partner relationships.
• Analyse market trends, competitor activity and customer requirements to inform business strategy.
• Build, lead and develop a high-performing SME team.
• Deliver agreed revenue, growth and profitability objectives.
• Support wider business transformation initiatives, acquisitions and integration activities where required.

Candidate Profile

We are interested in speaking with individuals who possess:

• Significant leadership experience within an insurance broking business.
• A proven track record of developing and growing SME insurance portfolios.
• Strong understanding of SME customers, broker distribution models and trading strategies.
• Experience building, launching or scaling insurance propositions within a broker environment.
• A demonstrable record of delivering profitable growth and commercial performance.
• Strong commercial, strategic and operational leadership capabilities.
• Experience developing insurer relationships and negotiating trading agreements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to operate effectively within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial and high-growth environment.
• Experience leading teams and driving performance through others.

Essential Experience

• Current or recent experience within an insurance broker.
• Strong understanding of the UK SME insurance market.
• Experience leading SME, trading, broking, distribution or commercial business units.
• Experience working with insurers, capacity providers and strategic partners to drive growth and profitability.

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to build and shape a core strategic business unit.
• Significant executive and investor backing.
• Exposure to transformational growth and M&A activity.
• Direct influence over business strategy and future direction.
• Highly visible leadership role within a rapidly scaling organisation.
• Competitive six-figure salary, bonus and long-term incentive opportunity.

Why This Role?

This is a rare opportunity to join a business at a genuine inflection point. The foundations are already in place, the investment is secured, and the ambition is clear. The successful individual will have the opportunity to create, lead and scale a market-leading SME proposition, play a key role in a highly ambitious growth journey and participate in the value creation generated over the coming years.

Please note: This opportunity is intended for individuals with substantial experience gained within the UK insurance broking market. Experience gained solely within insurers, MGAs or underwriting businesses is unlikely to provide the breadth of commercial and distribution experience required for this position.