Brydens Insurance is looking to further enhance its presence in the market and remain competitive with new general manager, Richard Ince, at its helm.

Appointed earlier this year, Mr. Ince, a long-standing insurance executive and consultant with extensive experience in both Barbados and Canada, said that Brydens Insurance had been in existence for over 90 years and possessed a “strong tradition of service excellence”.

He also reiterated that the company was strongly affiliated with TATIL, a leading regional insurer which carries an A-rating from A.M. Best, a global credit rating agency with a unique focus on the insurance industry. “Over the next year we plan to leverage these strengths to significantly enhance our presence in the Barbados market and remain keenly competitive,” Mr. Ince, who has responsibility for marketing the Brydens Insurance brand, added.

Mr. Ince, excited to have been appointed to his new role, said he thrives on challenge. “There is a lot to be done. My personal goal is to develop Brydens Insurance into a top performing company, seeing us rise to be among the top five insurers in Barbados in the next three to five years, financially and as leaders in products and service. This would be extremely rewarding.”

The new general manager comes with many years of diverse experience having worked in all sectors of the insurance market including broking, underwriting, offshore and life. He also owned and operated insurance businesses in Canada and Barbados for a number of years. “I bring a ‘360’ perspective to any issue as well as many years of technical experience,” he said.

For several years he served as general manager/director of the Barbados domicile operations for an international insurance management company, which provided captive insurance domicile management and risk management consultation services to Fortune 1000 multinational organisations.

Mr. Ince is a past president of the Insurance Institute of Barbados and former vice-president of the Association of Insurance Institutes of the Caribbean.

Describing his role, so far, as very interesting, Mr. Ince said he was in the process of learning more about the ANSA culture. “This is the usual with any new position but I have a strong support network both at the executive level here and in Trinidad, and in the solid and dedicated staff at Brydens Insurance, so I am confident.”

Brydens Insurance has a team of about 35 across its offices. In addition to its head office in Norman Centre, Broad Street, it operates satellite locations at McEnearney Quality Inc. in Wildey and Consolidated Finance Co. Ltd. in Hastings.

“We’re making significant investments in employee training, both in house and through traditional organisations like the insurance institutes, the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Barbados, and LOMA, an international trade association for the insurance and financial services industry, as well as in technology and other areas, to enhance the Brydens experience. Our satellite offices have become popular with clients who are able to utilise our full suite of services through those locations as an alternative to coming into our Bridgetown office.”

In welcoming Mr. Ince to the ANSA McAL (Barbados) group of companies, its president and chief executive officer, Nicholas Mouttet said that he had gotten off to an active and involved start with Brydens Insurance. “In only a short time, Richard has been able to make his presence felt in tangible and impactful ways. We’re really quite excited to have him and look forward to his leadership of this well-respected insurance brand.”