Dame Inga Beale joins Crawford & Company board

Dame Inga Beale has joined the board of Crawford & Company as an independent director.

Beale is the former chief executive officer of Lloyd’s of London, a post she held for five years before stepping down in 2018. She joined the management board of Clyde & Co on 1 January.

She was the first female chief executive officer in the global insurance and reinsurance market’s 325-year history.

Charlie Ogburn, non-executive chairman of the Crawford & Company board, welcomed Beale the claims management firm, commenting: “With the election of Dame Inga, Crawford now has three female directors on its nine-strong board and proudly joins other leading companies who have taken the important step of having at least three female directors.”

“Inga brings an array of international insurance carrier experience that will positively impact Crawford strategy going forward,” continued Harsha Agadi, president and chief executive officer of Crawford & Company. “She will provide insights, counsel and perspectives that will complement those of the existing board members and from which Crawford will benefit.”

“I look forward to partnering with Inga as we continue to deliver on our mission of restoring and enhancing lives, business and communities across the globe.”

In the UK, the legal services arms of Crawford & Company has established a presence in Leeds with the appointment of Sarah Cartwright.

Cartwright has joined Crawford Legal Services as head of insurable risks. The former Plexus Law partner will be based in the new Leeds office.

With more than 15 years of experience in insurance and public sector disputes and litigation, Cartwright and her team will specialise in insurable risks, subsidence and recoveries.

Launched in 2016 as an alternative business structure, Crawford Legal Services, which is already operating in Liverpool and Manchester with more than 40 people, has also established a presence in Birmingham.

Today, Crawford Legal Services includes the counter fraud services team and has specialisms in property/insurable risks, casualty, motor/transport, travel, indemnity solutions, fraud and recovery/subrogation.

Through its new operation in Birmingham, Crawford Legal Services will establish a cross-class recovery and subrogation team, including technology and policy indemnity. The operation currently provides clients with a recovery service across all lines of business, from low value to large complex losses, and will expand its capabilities in numerous specialty lines over the next 12 months.

Commenting on the announcement, Jason Spencer, managing director of Crawford Legal Services, said: “Crawford Legal Services is entering a period of accelerated growth. Since the launch of CLS in 2016, we have achieved phenomenal success and today’s announcement forms part of our ongoing efforts to expand our capabilities to meet increasing client demand.”

“Our unique approach, operating as an independent alternative business structure while being fully embedded within the core activities of Crawford UK, enables us to offer a unique operating and commercial model, to develop highly customer-focused solutions and provide a fully integrated single-supplier service that delivers on our mission to restore and enhance lives, businesses and communities.”

Mark Dugdale