Nov 22
Joining as the Broking CEO and Managing Partner of Consilium, James Baird has more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Formerly at Ed Broking, where he worked as director of its Strategic Risk Group, James’ experience will ensure that Consilium’s core values remain at the centre of new growth opportunities in the future.
With experience in Client Services Excellence, Portfolio Management, Financial Risk and Professional and Personal Liability Risk, James Baird began his career at Sedgwick, before moving to Jardine Lloyd Thompson and later Willis Towers Watson. He was also a founding partner of Glencairn Limited’s ProEx team.
As an experienced Executive Director, James’ leadership skills and expertise in the financial lines broking market will play a key strategic role in Consilium’s growth over the next few years.
Speaking of his excitement at James joining the Aventum family, CEO of Aventum Group, David Bearman said,
“We are committed to growing employee ownership and letting talent take the lead.” He explained, “In a world of private equity-owned businesses, we are the independent insurance group of choice - an oasis of difference where entrepreneurs can come and shape their future and ours.”
Hoping to do exactly that, James explained that one of the many attractions of joining Aventum Group was that there are very few private businesses in the insurance industry, especially those with no external investors. He said, “The Aventum business is only 26 years old. In that time, David, his senior leadership team and the Aventum family have built a unique platform in the insurance market.”
The general scope of the business also appealed to James. He explained, “In addition to underwriting platform Rokstone, there is Mulberry, our actuarial and data science business, Securus, our risk management and surveying business, and Consilium - our speciality broking business.
With a background in Professional and Executive Risk and a strong consulting approach, James will now drive this forward within Consilium. For our Brokers, this means more speciality products, richer investment in the top talent and wider growth opportunities as we look to develop our North American and International speciality lines of business.
Exploring new territories and different locations, Consilium’s five-year plan for growth and development soundly remains service and people-focused. As a direct, policyholder business advising clients around the world, Consilium has always strived to maintain a different approach to wholesale business. That approach is very much retail-focused and enables the adaptation of new technologies to promote sustainable growth within the business.
James is looking forward to working with so many high-performing teams in Consilium, concluding,
“All of this creates such a wonderful energy. The can-do attitude of the Aventum family contributes to a positive work culture. The diverse workforce, equal gender split and an average age of early to mid-30s all feed into a great work environment.”