Meet the Team
Our experienced team has unrivalled expertise in the Higher and Further Education sectors. As advocates and advisers, they are always on hand with the support our Members need.
James Roberts
CEO and Director
James joined UMAL as CEO (Designate) in September 2023, becoming CEO in December 2023.
James started his career at Eagle Star in 1990 (Zurich since 1997) carrying out a number of Underwriting, Distribution and Management roles across the Midlands, North West and South East.
In 2007 James became Head of Navigators and General, the specialist Pleasurecraft insurance division of Zurich, before taking on the role of Head of Region for the Southeast and most latterly at Zurich the role of UK Head of Sales and Distribution, and a member of the Retail Exec.
Having left Zurich in March 2020, James became Chief Commercial Officer and Director at ZavFit Ltd (a health tech start-up) along with establishing his own consultancy business supporting the scaling up of a number of commercial insurance brokers and Insuretechs across the UK.
James has over 30 year experience in the insurance sector.
Member Relationships
Claire Ford
Member Relationship Manager
Claire joined UMAL in April 2019, following a 20 year career with Zurich. Claire has a broad range of experience across most areas of insurance at a Senior Management level and in a wide range of supervisory and operational roles. These included Claims, Underwriting Support and Project Management both in the UK and India. Most recently she was a Broker Development Manager for large Corporate Customers and Brokers.
Craig Angus
Member Relationship Manager
Craig joined UMAL in January 2025, following a 19-year career with various insurers and broking houses. Craig has a range of experience across most areas of insurance including Client Engagement and service roles. These have included, Underwriting, Claims support, Reinsurance placements and Project Management. Most recently, he has been working with large Corporate and Private Equity clients in the Mergers and Acquisition space.
Underwriting
Leon Martin
PA, Travel, Motor and Cyber Underwriter
Leon joined UMAL in January 2001. He previously spent 10 years working for a London-based travel insurer, where he was the Senior Claims Superintendent with specific responsibility for the day to day running of their busy claims department. He is specialised in travel cover and is the underwriter for the UMAL travel and group personal accident cover.
He also arranges engineering inspection services with various providers and deals with FCA-regulated business for HMSL including motor, legal expenses, event insurance and special contingency (kidnap and ransom), placing suitable cover in the market on behalf of UMAL Members.
Matthew Ferguson
Liability Underwriter
Matthew joined UMAL in September 2017, bringing over 35 years of both UK and International liability insurance expertise to the team. Matthew’s career began with Commercial Union in Exeter, Devon, before progressing to Head Office in London. Further advancement took him to the International Risks team, before a transfer to Reading Branch as Senior Liability Underwriter. His final role was in the newly reformed Global Risks team back in London.
A 12 months spell at Ace, was followed by 15 years’ at Generali in London, handling both UK and International clients’ liability risks.
Matthew is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Vassos Costas
Property Underwriter
Vassos Costas joined UMAL in June 2021 as the Property Underwriter. Vassos has worked in the insurance industry since 1988 when he started his career with Chubb Insurance. He has worked for a number of different insurance organisations in senior roles that have included London Market reinsurance underwriting, Head Office underwriting and consultancy with various Insurers, including Royal & Sun Alliance, American Re and AIG. Prior to joining UMAL he was the Regional Vice President of the Property Insurance Middle East & African operations for AIG based Dubai. Vassos is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Tom Joined UMAL in September 2025 as a Property and Liability Underwriter.
Tom has worked in the insurance industry from 2005 when he started at the Electrical Insurance Contractors Insurance Company.
He has since worked in a number of Commercial Combined Underwriter roles that have included Travelers UK, Pen Underwriting, and most recently at Ecclesiastical, and brings a wealth of relevant experience to UMAL.
Tom is a graduate from the University of Northampton in Geography.
Charlie joined UMAL in 2022 and has 10 years’ of experience in a specialist motor insurance broker. Over the years Charlie has gained experience in a variety of different roles, including customer service, policy administration, and renewals. She now supports the Underwriting Department in all aspects of day-to-day underwriting activity.
Claims
Paul Francis
Head of Claims
Paul has been Head of Claims at UMAL since April 2020.
Paul has worked in the insurance industry since 1987 when he started his career at Eagle Star. Paul joined Travelers (then the St Paul) in 1998 where he performed several roles including Technical Claims Manager for a private and public sector book of business including private hospitals, utilities, NHS Trusts and local authorities generating EL, PL, products liability, medical malpractice, motor and property claims before becoming Senior Claims Manager for the EL and PL claims function across the UK and Ireland.
In 2016 Paul joined Haven Claims as their Technical Claims Manager, managing a large team of technical claim handlers responsible for high value and complex motor claims including personal injury claims of the utmost severity.
Paul is an ACII qualified Chartered Insurer.
Alison Terry
Claims Executive
Alison joined UMAL in August 2014. She brings 15 years of claims experience gained within the Lloyd’s insurance market. In her previous positions she worked in the financial sector having studied languages at University.
Jonathan Davies
Casualty Claims Executive
Jonathan studied law in the UK and at the University of Amsterdam, has a Batchelor of Laws degree and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Insurance Institute holding Chartered Insurer designation.
Dylan joined UMAL in January 2023. He has 15 years of experience handling motor and casualty claims gained from working in Private Practice and thereafter, for a Third Party Administrator where he managed a team of claim handlers responsible for a wide range of claim types, values and complexity. Dylan has handled claims for a wide range of sectors including but not limited to UK commercial insurance, public sector bodies, retail organisations, foreign logistic companies, travel networks, food processing/manufacturing and leisure/hospitality establishments.
Paul joined UMAL in February 2024.
Prior to joining UMAL, Paul worked for Zurich in a career spanning 35 years.
During that time, Paul specialised in commercial property claims before becoming a claims relationship manager in 2009. In that role, Paul looked after customers from a wide range of sectors, including haulage/logistics, retail, food/beverage, hospitality and real estate.
Michael joined UMAL in April 2025. He has over a decade of experience in Employers, Public and Product Liability claims. Prior to joining UMAL, he worked in the insurance and risk function of a UK retailer, before returning to a dedicated claims role. Michael is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and is currently working towards his Certificate in Insurance.
Carlton joined in August 2025. He has an accumulation of over 20 years insurance experience in a variety of classes of insurance – from High Net Worth, Commercial & Retail casualty to Environmental Liabilities. A strong grounding in customer service with recent management experience in the commercial and residential real estate sector.
Risk Management
Mike Stones
Head of Risk Management
Mike has completed Property as well as Health and Safety risk management reviews of UMAL Members since 1999, whilst initially working at UMAL’s principal re-insurer and then transferring to UMAL in 2006.
Mike was previously the European Technical Manager for a Global insurer, having worked in risk management since 1974 as an Insurance Property Senior Surveyor and then Head of Liability risk management at a UK Insurer. On leaving University at post-graduate level, he gained a further post-graduate degree in 2002 in Environmental Law and Safety Law.
He has completed Insurance-related risk management inspections in over 30 countries, covering an extensive range of industries and processes, as well as construction risks, in a risk management career of over 50 years.
Mike currently sits on the Risk Management Group of the Fire Protection Association, producing published property and fire risk management technical standards and guidelines. He also sits on the Business Continuity Working Group, the Insurers Forum, Emerging Risks Group, Escape of Water Working Group and Massive Timber Construction Working Group at this organisation, which is the technical arm of the UK Property Insurance market.
Mike is a Chartered Insurance Risk Manager, a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute, a Chartered Safety and Health Professional, a Certified Member of the Institute of Risk Management and a qualified Member of the Institute of Fire Engineers.
He also holds the Institute of Acoustics Certificate of Competence in Noise Risk Assessments and is trained in Pre-Calculation Sprinkler System Design and in Quality Assurance Auditing.
Andy Peacock
Risk Manager
Andy graduated from the University of South Wales in 2002 with a degree in Materials Engineering, followed by a postgraduate degree in Business from the Welsh Business School in 2003. He went on to complete his NEBOSH Diploma at Bristol College in 2005.
He started his career in heavy manufacturing (metals) before moving into a range of environment, safety, and risk roles across the facilities management and agriculture sectors, working in the UK, Europe, and Scandinavia. His experience with Dekota, ISO and Six Sigma auditing eventually led him into the insurance sector as a surveyor, and later into account coordination role with Travelers, where he worked as a Senior Account Coordinator and Casualty Lead.
At UMAL, alongside carrying out property and casualty surveys, Andy has played a key role in developing member engagement activities — including the UMAL webinar and alerting programme, member forums, and working groups. These initiatives have helped modernise how UMAL supports its members and strengthened the mutual’s understanding of its risks. He has also represented the education sector through organisations such as Alarm, Airmic, BUFDG, SUPC, and other related bodies, contributing to discussions on emerging risks and mitigation strategies.
Noel Silverman
Risk Manager
Noel joined UMAL in July 2024. His insurance career began in 1988 as a trainee Property Underwriter with Guardian Royal Exchange in Brighton. He began a Risk Management role with Guardian Royal Exchange in 1992 in Croydon and moved to Ecclesiastical Insurance in 1995, where he remained until 2024, located mainly in London and South East England as a Senior Risk Management Surveyor with particular interest and specialism in property risk management of Independent Schools, Iconic Heritage Risks and London Centric Real Estate Portfolios. Noel completed his NEBOSH General Certificate in 2001.
Richard Parslow
Risk Manager
Richard has over 35 years’ experience in the insurance sector, across underwriting, distribution and risk management.
Starting his career with Royal Insurance, he trained as a property underwriter in Manchester and gained experience as a business development manager before settling into Risk Management in 2005. Richard joined Zurich Insurance in 2009 as a Risk Analyst Surveyor, covering the North of the UK, with a focus on property risk management including sports stadiums, universities, manufacturing and real estate.
In 2020 he took up the role of Head of Risk Management at Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd and has worked with a range of high value commercial clients across property development, science/tech/education to understand their businesses, and develop and improve their Risk Management proposition. Richard has significant experience managing stakeholders and proven expertise in delivering innovative solutions.
Richard joined UMAL at the start of 2026. He is a Member of the Institute of Fire Engineers (EngTech TiFireE) and holds the NEBOSH General Certificate.
Operations
William Ward
Head of Operations
William joined UMAL in August 2018. He brings over 35 years of general insurance experience to the team. He has worked in most areas of insurance at a management level and in a wide range of supervisory and advisory roles, including claims, underwriting, IT, business analyst, project management and most recently operations management and the development and execution of strategic business initiatives.
He is an insurance operations and transformation specialist, having worked for large commercial insurers throughout his career.
William is an Associate of the Australian Insurance Institute and has an MBA from Henley Management College.
Feras Hamoudi
IT Manager
Feras joined UMAL in April 2019. He brings over 30 years’ experience of managing and supporting business-critical software and hardware systems in leading business environments. He has extensive knowledge of IT technologies and processes, undertaking planning, deployment, integration and migration of dynamic management solutions within the business.
Feras is an expert in delivering a first-class support service, optimising access to information and communicating effectively with both business and technical stakeholders.
Feras has a BSc degree in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Westminster.
Richard joined the accounts team at UMAL in May 2013. He brings with him over 20 years of experience working in finance and accounting having worked much of his time for Toshiba Corporation within their European finance division. Following their relocation, Richard took on a temporary role as interim finance manager at Bromley College which led him to his current role at UMAL.
Richard has a broad range of experience in audit, accounting, finance, taxation and IT functions. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Harry Nagra
Company Secretary & Compliance Officer
Harry joined UMAL in 2017. Working closely with the CEO and respective departments within UMAL. He is responsible for five main areas within the Group, comprising: Company Secretariat, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Data Protection and Quality Management.
Harry is a graduate of the London School of Economics, after which he qualified as a Chartered Accountant and then Chartered Insurer. He has substantial experience in the Lloyd’s and London insurance market covering brokers and underwriters: corporate governance, risk management, compliance & regulation, audit, financial management, corporate strategy, due diligence, mergers & acquisitions, and management consultancy.
Julia Kyte
PA/Office Manager
Julia joined UMAL in April 2014. Julia worked in various banking and finance institutions before moving to UMAL.
Julia is often the first point of contact at UMAL and will put you through to the relevant professional to deal with your query.
Meet the Directors
Our Board of Directors is comprised of highly experienced professionals from the insurance and education sectors.
