Bob Darling – Group CEO
Work: As Jensten's Group CEO, Bob provides the leadership and vision for the Group. Having spent the majority of his career in board level roles at leading financial services companies – including Close Brothers and Kaupthing Singer Friedlander. His focus is on leading a team that generates great outcomes for everyone while paying close adherence to the groups values.
Life: Bob is a family man – husband to Sarah. When not working, Bob loves spending quality time with his family. When they don't have time to spend with him, Bob can be found, listening to great music. A lifelong Arsenal fan, Bob can often be seen at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend and will console himself on another disappointment with a glass or two of fine wine..
Ed Hannan – Chief Financial Officer
Work: Ed joined Jensten as Group CFO in 2018 and leads finance and M&A. A qualified Chartered Accountant he has worked in insurance for nearly 20 years in a variety of finance, strategic and corporate development roles at blue chip institutions such as PwC, EY, Bupa and RSA Insurance. Experienced in driving growth and creating value, Ed now plays a pivotal role in driving the Jensten Group's continuing growth.
Life: Ed lives with his wife and two children. He is a keen 10k runner – though he's not as fast as he'd like to be. He loves watching international rugby and visits Twickenham for Tests as often as possible. For the last 6 years, Ed has been a Trustee and the Honorary Treasurer for NCB, a leading national children's charity.
Sarah Darling – Coversure Managing Director
Work: Sarah's varied career has taken her from the fashion industry through to building societies, a regional broker and onto the Coversure family. As Managing Director, Sarah's customer-centric ethos and team focus means she is a natural champion for the franchise holders. A marketer at heart and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Sarah utilises her seemingly boundless energy to continually deliver more.
Life: Sarah's interests are more aesthetic than athletic and she remains a devoted follower of fashion. When not dashing around the UK seeing her children she can be found wandering around the local countryside with her beloved cocker spaniel, dreaming about her extensive bucket list.
Steve Parker – Policyfast Managing Director
Work: Steve has spent his career in insurance and since 1989 his roles have encompassed everything from underwriting and broking to sales and product development. Steve even spent two years working in the Middle East, dedicated to growing the Gulf Insurance Company. His immense knowledge of the sector and close relationships with leading insurers have enabled him to quickly grow Policyfast while making it a firm favourite with UK brokers.
Life: Alongside his wife and two daughters, Steve's great passions in life are cars and bikes. On any given day Steve can be seen arriving in any one of a number of vehicles from his personal fleet, and when he's not behind the wheel he's above the wheel. Steve is a passionate road cyclist and he has even taken on the rigours of Tour de France mountain stages in the past.
Cheryl Astley – Chief Technology Officer
Work: As our CTO, Cheryl oversees the strategic direction of the Group's IT support business, Datamatters. Cheryl's career has seen her hold similar senior roles at the insurance brokers Towergate and the supermarket Morrisons, so she is well-versed in working with complex systems that deliver efficiency and added value to customers' experiences.
Life: Outside of spending her time with her family - her husband, son and daughter - Cheryl can often be found at the stables, caring for and riding her beloved horse. Cheryl is also a proud Liverpool Football Club supporter and bravely admitted it on her first day to her Manchester based staff.
Carl Ashton – Group Risk and Compliance Director
Work: As our Group Risk and Compliance Director, Carl develops and oversees our compliance and regulatory frameworks. An industry veteran, over the years Carl and his team have ensured that the Group's compliance protocols not only keep pace with the regulator's fast-changing expectations but also deliver positive customer outcomes. An established authority figure, Carl sits on the RWG (Regulatory Working Group) advisory board and steering group.
Life: Carl is a real family man and likes nothing more than spending time with his wife and four children. With such a large family time is always at a premium, but Carl manages to find it for travelling and taking his dog for long walks in the country.
Chris Woosnam – Mergers and Acquisitions Director
Work: Chris brings with him over 15 years of experience in the financial services sector and will prove invaluable in driving our Mergers and Acquisitions plans forward. Chris's previous experience covers a wealth of areas in the financial services sector, including business modelling and financial projections, as well as significant experience in Mergers and Acquisitions. Most recently, Chris worked as an Assistant Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at EY, and brings with him 5 years of service at AIG. Chris will be based in London at our City Office, and will be working closely with Ed on developing our Mergers and Acquisitions strategy.
Life: Chris enjoys pursuing an active lifestyle, including gym training and HIIT classes. A keen gardener, Chris also likes walks around Richmond Park and watching rugby and athletics when he finds the time, which is increasingly rare given he welcomed a baby boy with his wife in November!
Simon Taylor – Wholesale Managing Director
Work: Simon joined the Jensten Group in April 2019 as Wholesale Managing Director, with specific responsibility for Policyfast and City Underwriters, so the underwriting businesses within the Group. Simon is passionate about delivering high quality solutions to brokers for their commercial and personal clients. With 30 years experience in the industry, at insurers, MGA's and brokers he is well placed to understand and meet the challenge and always keen to get feedback on how we can continue to improve.
