Phillip Hodson M.A. (Cantab)
Chief Executive Officer

Appointed Chief Executive Officer on 22 September 2003. A graduate of Cambridge University, Phillip joined the R P Hodson group in 1977, having formerly worked for Anglo America plc in South Africa, and has guided the Oval group to its current level by over-viewing a strategic acquisition policy. Phillip played cricket for Cambridge University and Yorkshire C.C. and rugby for Western Transvaal. He is the future President of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

Jeff Herdman
Executive Director - Operations

Appointed group Managing Director on 8 May 2006, Jeff joined Bland Bankart as Managing Director on 1 June 1999, having formerly worked for Willis as Managing Director of Wales and Regional Managing Director for the Midlands. He has been in the insurance industry for 26 years, having set up his own broking house, which was subsequently acquired by Willis. Jeff played rugby for Swansea, Wales ‘B’ and the Barbarians over a 14-year career and went on to coach Swansea for five years and the Barbarians for a further eight years.

Antony Pinsent
Non-Executive Director

Appointed Non-Executive Chairman on 25 November 2003. Antony has been in the insurance market since 1966 principally in the broking field. He was Chairman of Leslie & Godwin before joining the board of Aon Group Ltd. He left Aon in 1999 and is currently a Non-Executive Director of Sompo Japan Insurance Company of Europe Ltd. He was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Wellington Underwriting plc and Lomond Underwriting plc. He was Chairman of the Lloyd’s Insurance Brokers Committee in 1993 and 1994.

Andrew Brown
Chairman

Andrew was appointed Chairman on 26 July 2011 after serving as Non-Executive Director with responsibility for the group Risk, Audit, and Compliance Committee since 22 May 2007. Andrew held executive positions with Sterling Guarantee Trust and Sedgwick Group. He was Finance Director and subsequently Joint Chief Executive of Gartmore Investment Management plc and was Finance Director of Hawkpoint Partners Limited. Andrew is a Chartered Accountant and is Chairman of Merco Recruitment Holdings Limited and a non-executive Director of H & T Group plc.

Patrick O’Connell
Executive Director, Insurance Broking

Appointed Managing Director (and subsequently Executive Director), Insurance Broking on 1 April 2010 having joined Oval as a Regional Managing Director in February 2007. He previously worked for Marsh for 15 years, most recently as a Managing Director in the Corporate Client Practice. He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Insurance and a Chartered Insurance Broker.

Peter Blanc
Deputy Chief Executive

Peter was formerly Managing Director of FMW Risk Services Ltd which he sold to Oval in December 2007. Peter started his career in 1988 working for Legal & General and after joining FMW Group in 1989, Peter went on to be involved in a management buy-out in 1996, a further management buy-out in 1998 and then in 2000 he led his own management buy-out to create FMW Risk Services Ltd. Since joining Oval, Peter has acted as Regional Managing Director for the Eastern Region until taking over his current role in 2011. Peter is a trustee of the Essex Community Foundation.

Steven Mitchell
Executive Director – Financial Services

Steven was appointed Head of Private Clients for Oval FS in November 2007 following the sale of his company Ward Mitchell to Oval. He was appointed as Head of Financial Services in April 2008. Prior to joining Oval, Steven's IFA career began at Pointon York where he was a Main Board Director before setting up Hornbuckle Mitchell in 1982. After the sale of Hornbuckle Mitchell to IBC plc, he formed Ward Mitchell in 1994. Steve has been instrumental in restructuring Oval Financial Services to meet the demands of the Retail Distribution Review and is central to the drive for ever higher professional standards in the business. At 60 he brings huge experience and knowledge to Oval.

Ian Story
Group Finance Director

Prior to his appointment as Oval’s Group Finance Director Ian had spent the last 7 years in the world of Insurance Broking starting as Finance Director of Smart and Cook for 3 years and then Finance Director of Bluefin for 4 years following Smart and Cook’s sale to Bluefin (a subsidiary of AXA. The bulk of Ian’s career was spent with GE Capital, the Financial Services division of General Electric of the US where he held various positions in various businesses in various countries over a period of 15 years. Ian was born and bred in Hawick (in the Borders), is married and has 2 children – Connor 6 and Isla 4. He is a lover of most sports (although not so much football) and describes himself as Fanatically Scottish.