Our organisation
Our services are divided between the underwriting, end of work and the claims management. With our partners (insurers, brokers and networks of insurance experts), we assist you step by step through the various processes.
Young and dynamic, our team is specialised in underwriting, managing insurance contracts and handling claims. Through their in-depth knowledge and resources, they are the guarantors of UBI Courtage's ability to build effective insurance plans.
Our engagements
In addition to our experience, we offer our Brokers competitive and well-adapted products that meet current market requirements, along with simplified underwriting and an efficient service. When helpful, we offer direct access to decision-makers and the insurance process.
UBI Courtage Ltd. wishes to establish a sustainable partnership with brokers through a quality charter providing:
- IMMEDIATE ACCESS: Immediate and direct access to decision-makers for risk acceptance and appraisal.
- ADAPTED PRODUCTS: Products adapted to the new and changing demands of our Brokers’ customers, and strategies that can be implemented to meet the needs and requirements of both the market and the Brokers.
- RIGOUR: Competence, diligence and independence of our staff provides our Brokers with the opportunity for innovation and adaption.
- SKILLS: Our knowledge and skills are maintained at the level required by the changing legislation and techniques. We also limit the opening of Group policy in order to avoid competition between our partners.
Our team
SANDRA METZ
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Sandra’s career began in real estate when she spent two years as manager of Co-Property Management. Sandra then turned to transport when she became a logistician for the whole Benelux area. In 2008, she joined a company specialising in construction insurance. She created the Service End of work and quickly became Team Leader of this department along with the Department of Claims Management. In 2015, Sandra joined UBI in her role as Underwriting Assistant.
ALAN CLARKE
SEO
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Alan began his career in insurance in 1972 in the Human Resources Department at the Lloyd’s Corporation in London. After 3 years, he left this position to become “Personnel and Training Manager” at Crown Life Insurance, where he remained for 9 years before taking a similar position with Lombard Continental Insurance.
In 1987, Alan was one of the four Chief Executive Officers who were founders of the Independent Insurance Group (Plc), becoming Director and member of the Board of Directors in 1991. At Independent Plc, he was first person responsible for all human resources and training functions, and then in 1993, responsible for UK regional sales management and underwriting operations, with 12 branches and more than 800 employees who were added to his responsibilities.
In 1995, he was appointed Director of the International Division and Chairman of a new French subsidiary: Independent Insurance SA, where he negotiated the purchase and managed the integration of the companies “La Palatine”, the “GFA” (Groupement Français Insurance) and “Safom SA”. After successfully launching the Group’s Spanish operations in 1999, he withdrew from his executive functions and held various non-executive positions outside the Independent Group before resigning from the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Group in March 2001.
In March 2002, he created Insurance Compliance Services Ltd (ICS), a leading consulting firm in Corporate Governance in Insurance, in the UK, which was subsequently sold to Broker Direct in 2008. In 2006, with his colleagues and friends Harvey Wetherill and Michel Cornet, he founded European Insurance Services Ltd (EISL). This company specialized in property and casualty insurance in France, and has developed with recognized success in the market. EISL became a profitable underwriting agency, which in 2011 was sold to a New Zealand re-insurer, CBL. Alan retired in 2012 but now, after more than 40 years of Insurance experience including 20 years on the French market, Alan joins his colleagues and friends Harvey Wetherill and Michel Cornet. Taking advantage of their numerous contacts in the insurance industry and their knowledge of both the London and French brokerage markets, they are creating a new structure that specialises in construction insurance. They intend to develop this new structure which is dedicated to construction and damage insurance in France through specialised and competent brokers partners.
HERMINE D'AMPHERNET
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After a degree in Modern Foreign Languages Applied to Business in France and a year of study abroad through the ERASMUS exchange Programme, Hermine completed her training in the United Kingdom. She obtained a Post Graduate Certificate at the University of Plymouth and held various positions in several UK’s public bodies. After a career change, she joined the insurance industry and, in 2018, incorporate the end of works and claims service at UBI Ltd.
hermineamphernet@ubi-courtage.com
Yann Le Vot
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Yann Le Vot has over ten years’ experience working for specialist MGAs and Lloyd’s Coverholders focusing on the French construction industry. He started his career in Dommage Ouvrage before moving to underwrite Decennial Liability insurance for French and foreign contractors. He has extensive experience of liaising with a wide network of French distribution partners to meet their clients’ needs. Yann is a member of the Chartered Institute of Insurers.
Sheryll Holmwood
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Sheryll’s career began in South Africa fulfilling administration, secretarial and export administration roles in the mining industry but since coming to England in 2004, Sheryll has worked extensively in the construction industry fulfilling administrative and executive assistant roles. Sheryll joined UBI in August 2018 as PA/Office Manager.
sheryllholmwood@ubi-courtage.com
HARVEY WETHERILL
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Harvey’s career in insurance began in 1974 when he joined Eagle Star Insurance Company. After five years in the underwriting of property and casualty risks, he joined the Commercial Department and held several positions over the following ten years. In 1989, Harvey joined Independent Insurance Company where he was responsible for managing the network of Brokers. After moving from the Paris-based SAFOM underwriting agency as Director of Marketing in 1992 and 1993, Harvey returned to Independent Insurance in the UK and worked in various marketing and sales management positions until 1997, when he joined the International Division as Head of International Development, covering operations in France, Spain and Ireland. In March 2002, he was Founding Director of Insurance Compliance Services Ltd (ICS) – a leading consulting firm in corporate governance in insurance, advising several hundred British intermediaries. In 2006, with his colleagues Alan Clarke and Michel Cornet, Harvey created European Insurance Services Ltd (EISL), a leading underwriting agency in construction insurance specialising in French risks. EISL has developed a significant presence in this market by offering an innovative and high-quality service as well as a reliable alternative to traditional insurers. EISL was sold in June 2011. Harvey retired from the Board in March 2013. Since May 2013 Harvey has provided advice and support to a specialised Spanish underwriting agency, “Iberia SSR”, focusing on construction guarantees.
Following numerous requests from Intermediaries, Insurers and Re-insurers, Harvey joined Alan Clarke and Michel Cornet to launch a new Enterprise, focusing again in the construction sector in France. The objective is to support the Insurers with technical expertise and management of the distribution, and to provide the Brokers’ partners with a quality service and well-adapted technical capacities.
harveywetherill@ubi-courtage.com
AVESH NEWOOR
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In addition to having a Master in Finance from Heriot Watt University of London, Avesh has several work experiences in the UK and Mauritius. Most recently, he joined an insurance underwriting agency and developed the accords-cadres. In 2018, he joined at UBI the department of public tenders and government/public contracts.
Joe Richardson
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After studying Accounting and Finance at Newcastle University, graduating in 2009, Joe moved back down to London to take up his first role within industry working with a specialist recruitment, logistic and facilities management company. This is where he continued to study completing his professional accountancy qualification with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in 2015. Joe then moved to an energy recruitment business specialising in Oil and Gas recruitment across the globe to gain the international and multi region exposure he desired. Having moved back to Kent, Joe then joined UBI in 2018 as their Financial Controller.
joerichardson@ubi-courtage.com
YOHAN BERRY
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After specialising in aviation in Blagnac, Yohan became a Technician in Construction Methods for major aerospace companies. He worked on the Airbus A350, the ATR72 and then Dassault on the Falcon program. Eager to gain experience in a foreign country, Yohan left France for the UK in order to discover new career opportunities. In 2017, he joined UBI as a Construction Insurance Manager.
JAMES WISEMAN
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James Wiseman is an MBA graduate, an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, and has worked within the industry for over 15 years.
James started his career as an Underwriting Project Manager at Homeserve PLC, before being hired by key players such as AIG, Marsh and Chubb in Senior consultancy and underwriting positions, enabling him to gain extensive expertise in a range of insurance products. Before joining UBI Courtage Ltd as Chief Underwriting Officer, James was previously Director of Pricing and Risk Management with Asurion Europe and most recently Chief Underwriting Officer for MSI Assurances et Reassurances in Paris.
Throughout his career, James has become a well-rounded expert in underwriting, product development, regulation and compliance and has launched new businesses, developed and managed extensive portfolios, and advised clients on all aspects of their insurance programmes.
PIERRE CORNET
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Pierre has had more than 15 years of international experience in Insurance and Reinsurance covering several areas.
After studying law, Pierre joined the family business to gain experience. In 1997, he joined Independent Insurance where he held several underwriting and management positions in both Manchester (UK) and Paris. In 2001 he joined Winterthur Group in Switzerland – an international insurance group, as Senior Underwriter at Group Headquarters. He led the development and implementation of various products, as well as underwriting support and performance tracking for group companies around the world. In 2005, he was selected to join a team of six experts, selected and led by senior management, thus contributing to the success of a major dispute between Winterthur Group and XL Capital (relating to the sale of Winterthur International to XL), which saved nearly 1.0 billion USD. Subsequently, Pierre continued as a run off Manager for the successful settlement of the remaining business and business between Winterthur and XL, which represented a portfolio of more than 200 million EUR. At the end of 2010, Pierre joined EISL in Great Britain as a “Relationship Manager”, working with Harvey Wetherill. Together they have successfully developed a relationship with the Lloyd’s market, which has resulted in several additional capabilities with this prestigious institution in Construction and Property Damage. After Harvey’s departure from EISL, Pierre took over responsibility for managing underwriting capabilities, and eventually left EISL in February 2014. Pierre is now Managing Director of UBI.
MARTINE WARREN
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Martine’s career began in the construction and building industry as an accountant. After 20 years of experience, Martine decided to move towards construction insurance by integrating a specialized underwriting agency. During her 12 years of experience in the sector, Martine occupied various positions as Property Damage Underwriter, Team and Training Manager. In November 2018, Martine joined UBI as a senior Property Damage underwriter.
martinewarren@ubi-courtage.com
JOCELYN MANCEAU
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Graduating from a Civil Engineering Institute, Jocelyn gained a master degree at the Toulon Business School. In addition to his university studies, he broadened his knowledge of insurance at Atlantis Assurances, a brokerage firm specialising in Construction Insurance in Nantes. He then studied at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) where he studied modules on Construction Insurance and Real Estate. In 2014 Jocelyn moved to the United Kingdom and joined an underwriting agency which specialised in Construction Insurance. For more than two years he concentrated solely on the Financing Financial Guarantee before joining UBI in 2017 as an Underwriter responsible for the GFA service.
jocelynmanceau@ubi-courtage.com
ALEXANDRA HEUVELINE
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After obtaining qualifications in catering and hotels, Alex left France for London to develop her career in the UK as well as improving her English. After working for many years as a Catering Manager around the UK, Alex joined UBI in 2017 as an End of Work Underwriter.
alexandraheuveline@ubi-courtage.com
ALEXANDRE LUCE
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After a training in DUT specialised in Business Management, Alexandre joined a large restaurant franchise where he held the position of Manager for 8 years. Eager to evolve professionally and acquire an experience abroad he joined UBI’s Property Damage service as a construction insurance manager.
alexandreluce@ubi-courtage.com
CÉLINE BUSSON
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Originally from Nice, Céline has always been dedicated to a career in the insurance industry. Céline decided to focus her studies towards the various business lines of management specialising in insurance management. On obtaining her BTS Management qualification in 2007, Céline joined Generali – a major insurance firm in Nice. She was responsible for a portfolio – I.A.R.D, of nearly 1,000 clients, developing products for individuals such as home, automobile and health insurance. During this time Céline learnt the significance of the client’s place in the underwriting process and the importance of providing them with a first-class service. She joined a very young underwriting agency based in the United Kingdom, initially as an Underwriting Assistant, rapidly progressing to become Leader of a team of underwriters in Property Damage. Céline developed her technical skills and contributed to the success and growth of the company for 7 years. Wanting to develop her professional career, Céline joined UBI in 2015 alongside Pierre Cornet and his three other Directors Alan Clarke, Harvey Wetherill and Michel Cornet. Together they took on the challenge of creating an independent underwriting agency, offering to place risks in construction insurance, as well as in property and trade damage, decennial civil liability and other risks. Thanks to the support of Lloyd’s of London who have entrusted UBI with the status of Coverholder and her colleagues who proposed she join the management team, Céline became a Director and “Conductor” of the Construction Insurance section at UBI. Céline’s biography traces the profile of a determined young woman who has always attached great importance to team spirit, trust and excellence. She currently holds the position of Director.
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/celine-busson-770a1171/en