Leadership Team

Benny Higgins
Independent Non-Executive Director & Group Chair

Benny joined Markerstudy in 2020 and has vast financial sector experience. Beginning his career at Standard Life in 1983 as an actuarial student, he went on to become a member of the Standard Life Group Executive Committee in 1996. Roles at RBS and HBOS followed, before he joined Tesco Bank as Chief Executive in 2008 – 2018.

In 2017, Benny was asked by the Scottish Government to develop an implementation plan for the creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank. Subsequently he was appointed as Strategic Adviser to the First Minister and Chairman of Scottish Government’s Advisory Group on Economic Recovery post COVID19.

Benny is also heavily invested in social and philanthropic activities, and is Chairman of numerous societies, including the Edinburgh Fringe Society, The National Galleries of Scotland and The Buccleuch Group.

Kevin Spencer
Chief Executive

Kevin is the founder and a major shareholder of Markerstudy Group. He spent his early days as an insurance broker, then joined Lloyd’s broker, Edgar Hamilton, to become Managing Director. Kevin considers the creation of Markerstudy, one of the fastest growing companies in the UK, to be his proudest achievement, leading the group to achieve a turnover of £2bn. Kevin is a magistrate, sitting in central London and is also a qualified helicopter pilot.

Gary Humphreys
Chief Executive Officer, MISL

Gary is a shareholder and joint founder of Markerstudy Group. After a career in underwriting in the Lloyd’s market, he joined forces with Kevin Spencer in 1997 to establish the MGA that became Markerstudy. Gary continues to lead the insurance operations, as well as contributing to the development of other companies within the Group.

Keith Barber
Chief Operating Officer*
*subject to regulatory approval

Following a first class degree in Economics and Business Economics at Southampton University, Keith qualified as a Chartered Accountant whilst working for Ernst and Young. After several senior auditing roles at KPMG, he became Financial Controller in various divisions of Equity Group (formerly Cox). Keith joined Markerstudy Group in 2005 as Group Finance Director, and has recently been appointed to the position of Chief Operating Officer*.

John Castagno

Independent Non-Executive Director - Group Senior Independent Director (SID)

John is an experienced NED with a demonstrated history of working in the insurance, technology, and services industry. He has enjoyed an illustrious career in the insurance industry spanning over 45 years which has included key leadership positions at several notable companies such as Legal & General, The Equity Group, Hastings Direct, British Gas and latterly Post Office Insurance.

Craig Scarr

Independent Non-Executive Director - Group

A Chartered Accountant, Craig spent the first 28 years working in the regulated sector finishing as Head of Insurance at Mazars and then Chairman of Insurance at Grant Thornton. In that time, he led external audits of global groups, was a Skilled Person for UK regulators on many s166 assignments and a frequent specialist interviewee on BBC breakfast, Sky’s Jeff Randall Live, Bloomberg, CNN and Channel 4’s Big Breakfast. With a 2-year secondment to FBI and SFO as lead agent/investigator he is also a specialist fraud and financial crime investigator.
As a NED in the insurance sector since 2015 he is a SID, chairs audit and also risk committees for companies in multinational groups including Tokyo Marine, Munich re and USAA.
Outside of work he scouts and coaches for a premier league rugby club academy, is a magistrate and focuses on an extensive collection of carnivorous plants.

Lord Theodore Agnew

Independent Non-Executive Director - Group

In a career spanning 35 years, in both the private and public sector, Lord Agnew holds a number of advisory positions, is a Member of the House of Lord’s Industry and Regulators committee and Trustee of the National Institute of Teaching.

At the start of his illustrious career, he founded WNS Services Ltd, a claims management and third party administrator to the insurance sector, which he sold to Warburg Pincus. In 2004 he became CEO of Lloyd’s MGA Jubilee Insurance and affiliated businesses, a start-up venture with syndicates covering motor, life and specialty classes which was acquired by Aon Group in 2010. 

Between 2010 and 2017 he took Board and advisory positions in Government including the Lead NED at the Ministry of Justice, Chairman of the Academies board in the Department for Education (DfE) and NED at the DfE.  

In 2012, Lord Agnew founded the Inspiration Trust, an academy trust which now includes 16 schools and 10,000 pupils across East Anglia. In 2015 he was Knighted for his services to education.

In 2017, his passion to reform the UK’s education system led to him accepting the post of Lord’s minister in the Department of Education. In 2020, he was appointed Minister of State across The Treasury and Cabinet Office.

Peter Graham

Independent Non-Executive Director - MISL Chair

Peter has over 30 years senior level insurance industry experience and has held several CEO and Chairman roles. Peter was previously the CEO of esure Insurance, Chairman of Barbon Insurance and Managing Director of two insurance businesses at Legal & General. Peter also performed senior roles at Direct Line and two U.S. insurers.
Peter has the reputation of being a strategic thinker with the ability to spot trends and identify innovative opportunities. His track record includes several start-ups and turnarounds both in motor and home insurance. He also ran the U.K.’s largest life insurance business during his employment at Legal & General.
Peter started his career within Information Technology and takes an active interest in digital enablement and InsurTech.

Jennette Newman

Independent Non-Executive Director - MISL

Jennette Newman is an experienced legal and insurance sector professional with a career spanning over 30 years in city law firms and the London insurance market.
She has a wealth of experience in advising on claims, policy coverage, dispute resolution, risk management and insurance regulation, together with extensive expertise in operational change, stakeholder engagement, governance, and D&I. She is also an INED and Chair of the NRC of the Chartered Insurance Institute and an Alderwoman of the Corporation of London. Jennette is a member of the MISL Board and the group Audit committee.

Steve Maddock

Independent Non-Executive Director - MISL

Steve has an impressive 30 year insurance career which has included roles at Capita, RSA and Direct Line Group, where he was the Chief Operating Officer for twelve years, as well as a seven year spell as Chair of the Motor Insurers Bureau. Steve’s NED experience lies in the technology, digital transformation, cyber security sectors, Operations and Claims.

Andy Watson

Independent Non-Executive Director - Distribution Chair

During his executive career, spent entirely within Financial Services, Andy became a highly experienced CEO and Board member who operated successfully within a variety of market leading, regulated companies. His final executive position was as CEO of Ageas UK, which he held for 7+ years. He brings board level experience gained in both intermediated and direct to consumer channels.
Since stepping down as an executive in mid-2020, in addition to his Markerstudy responsibilities, Andy is Chair of life insurer Canada Life Limited and serves as a Trustee for charities Brathay Trust and Sale Sharks Foundation..

Cathy Lewis

Independent Non-Executive Director - Distribution

Cathy has worked across Financial Services for over 25 years, for organisations including Santander Bank, Cooperative Financial Services, Prudential Assurance and RSA, where her last Executive role was as the Group HR Director. Now an experienced INED since 2019, Cathy joined Markerstudy in June 2024, as a member of the Markerstudy Distribution Board and the Group Risk Committee. Cathy is also a Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair for Al Rayan Bank UK. She has been an ambassador for the Not-for-profits organisation The ISC Group since 2019, supporting and promoting opportunities for women in the insurance sector.

Chris Collings
Independent Non-Executive Director - Distribution

Chris Collings is an insurance professional with a career spanning over 40 years in the insurance industry. Previously a director at Swinton Insurance, Chris has a wealth of experience in broking, insurer relations, customer services, claims management, product development, compliance and governance.

Chris is now a non-executive director and for the last 6 years has held Board roles in several companies within Markerstudy Group. Chris also chairs some of the Group’s risk and compliance committees.

Ian Britchfield

Independent Non-Executive Director - Carole Nash Ireland Chair

Ian is an energetic, experienced, and highly motivated financial services professional with a strong corporate governance and regulatory background. He has gained board level and senior management experience over 30 years in the insurance, reinsurance and pensions industries.
Ian spent more than 20 years in executive roles in the insurance industry, including numerous Board roles. Most recently he spent more than 10 years running the Dublin office of a large global reinsurer. Ian is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a member of the Institute of Directors.
Since moving into the Independent Non-Executive Director area in 2015, Ian has built up a portfolio of high-quality insurance and reinsurance clients, as well as two insurance intermediaries, a MIFID regulated investment firm, a Pensions Master Trust and an appointment to an important State Board.