Equipsme Appoints Stuart Reid as Chair

Stuart has an outstanding track record in growing businesses and advocating for the insurance sector.

He founded Stuart Alexander in 1993 and led its sale to AXA. He was CEO and Executive Chair of Bluefin, and the CEO of UK retail broking at Arthur J Gallagher. He has served as vice president of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and as the chair of BIBA’s large brokers committee.

He is currently Chair of insurance brokerage Partners&, Chair of sharing economy specialist Pikl, and a Non-Executive Director at Harbour Underwriting and Qlaims.

Stuart’s appointment comes at a time of strong growth for Equipsme, which occupies the middle ground between cash plans and PMI. In November Equipsme was selected by Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) as a solution as part of its Access to Healthcare initiative.

Equipsme plans cost the same for all employees and start at £9 per employee per month. Its health insurance plans also allow employees to upgrade and add family members directly, with its most popular plan including private diagnosis and treatment from AXA Health.

Stuart Reid commented: “I am absolutely delighted to join the board at this significant moment. I was an original investor in Equipsme and have closely followed its growth. I believe the business has a rare opportunity to meet an intrinsic demand from businesses that wish to protect and support their employees.

“I have known Matthew and many of the team for many years and have great faith in their ability to grow this business attuned to increasing customer demand. I believe that my involvement will support Equipsme to realise their ambitions to change an industry that has been poorly served by the current providers.”

Matthew Reed, Equipsme co-founder and managing director, said: “Stuart provides the perfect blend of enthusiasm, advocacy and challenge that the board needs. His track record in growing businesses and capitalising on market trends speaks for itself, and his input comes at just the right moment as we grow rapidly amongst intermediaries with a broad and holistic offer.

“We’re proud that he’s chosen us and look forward to working together to seize the opportunity to make health insurance an affordable reality for more people in all types of businesses.”