Managing Director (Start Up Commercial Insurance Broker)

CKB Recruitment Ltd; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment firm is seeking a Managing Director for a hands-on role in launching a new insurance broking venture in South East England. This position entails full accountability for business development, client acquisition, and operational control. Candidates should have senior experience in insurance broking and a strong track record of revenue management. Attractive compensation includes a competitive salary, performance-linked bonus, and meaningful equity participation with significant exit potential. The firm offers a collaborative environment backed by seasoned industry investors.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Performance-linked bonus

Equity participation

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing revenue with P&L ownership.
• Strong understanding of insurance market and valuation drivers.
• Ability to build and lead a high-performance team.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development and establish core client relationships.
• Define and execute a growth strategy aligned with acquisition criteria.
• Maintain compliance and governance frameworks.

Skills

Senior leadership experience within UK insurance broking

Proven track record of personally generating and managing revenue

Strong FCA regulatory knowledge

Entrepreneurial mindset

Job description

Managing Director - Insurance Broking (Hands-On, Equity-Backed New Venture)

Location: Ideally South East England (Hybrid/Flexible)

This is a hands‑on, founder‑level Managing Director role with full accountability for building and scaling a new insurance broking business from launch through to a potential seven‑figure exit.

The venture is backed by experienced insurance entrepreneurs who have previously built and sold brokerages to industry consolidators. As the Managing Director you will operate with significant autonomy, meaningful equity participation, and a clear mandate to create enterprise value rather than simply manage a business.

Investor Backing

The shareholder group consists of senior insurance brokers who have successfully exited businesses to UK and international consolidators. They bring deep understanding of valuation drivers, exit mechanics, insurer relationships, and acquisition strategy. The investors provide strategic support while allowing the Managing Director full operational control.

Key Responsibilities

• Personally lead business development, key client acquisition, and insurer negotiations
• Establish the initial revenue base and core client relationships
• Define and execute a growth strategy aligned with consolidator acquisition criteria
• Build a scalable, well‑governed brokerage with strong EBITDA discipline
• Full P&L ownership, budgeting, forecasting, and margin management
• Implement management information aligned with exit‑focused reporting standards
• Act as, or work closely with, FCA Senior Management Function holders
• Maintain robust compliance, conduct risk management, and governance frameworks
• Recruit and develop a lean, high‑quality team as the business scales

Essential Experience

• Senior leadership experience within UK insurance broking
• Proven track record of personally generating and managing revenue
• Strong FCA regulatory knowledge and operational credibility
• Experience running a business, division, or substantial book with P&L responsibility

Strongly Preferred

• Previous involvement in a brokerage sale or consolidator acquisition
• Understanding of valuation drivers such as EBITDA quality, retention, and scalability
• Established insurer and market relationships

Personal Attributes

• Entrepreneurial, resilient, and highly commercial
• Comfortable in a start‑up environment with personal accountability
• Motivated by equity ownership and exit upside rather than salary alone
• Credible leader capable of building trust with insurers, staff, and acquirers

Reward & Exit Upside

• Competitive base salary
• Performance‑linked bonus
• Meaningful equity participation with seven‑figure exit potential
• Clear alignment between personal upside and shareholder value creation
• Equity structure, vesting, and exit mechanics to be discussed with shortlisted candidates.

Salary here will depend on if you are personally investing from Day 1. If you are not and, for example, you would receive a 20% shareholding on Day 1 with further allocations on the attainment of targets our client would like there to be a sharing of risk. This could be achieved by your salary reducing in the short term to incentivise success from its employment level. (Possibly £60,000 - £75,000)

If you would like to discuss this role in more detail, please contact Kieran at CKB Recruitment