Team

Chairman

Since co-founding First Central Group and its subsidiaries, including Skyfire Insurance, Skyfire Reinsurance and First Central Insurance Management, Mike has spent the last 10 years leading the business through a period of significant growth in a constantly evolving insurance market.

As Chairman, Mike’s role is to lead Skyfire Insurance’s board, as well as the boards across the group, to ensure the business is appropriately governed, recognising the interests of all key stakeholders whether they be regulators, investors, employees or policyholders. The aim for the boards across the group is to provide scrutiny, challenge and support for the executive team in delivering the strategy and values.

Mike has been fundamental in First Central’s success story and will continue to support the team build on its values and foundations to see the business further develop as an excellent insurance provider and employer.

Before co-founding First Central Group, Mike started in the Lloyd’s market and worked for Amlin and Benfield, before joining Zenith Insurance, a UK motor insurer in 2002. He was promoted to UK CEO in 2004, a year before the business was sold to the Guardian Group. In 2006, Mike left to set up a new Lloyd’s managing agent Diagonal Underwriting, owned by IAG.

Director

Jonathan joined the Skyfire Insurance board in April 2018 and is also the Chief Claims Officer at First Central Group.  He is responsible for delivering the business’s future digital customer claims strategy, with overall responsibility for offline sales and servicing operations.
 
In addition to this, he provides leadership on the processes and governance of the group’s claims indemnity spend and reserving.
 
Before joining, Jonathan spent 22 years in various roles at Co-operative Insurance. Most notably, Jonathan was the Claims General Manager (Director) where he set up and executed the claims management strategy for the business and was responsible for the overall customer experience.
 
As a keen gardener and walker, when Jonathan is not at work he can be found outdoors.

Director

Andy became a Director of Skyfire Insurance in 2018. He joined the company having, for the last three years, been the Managing Director of another Gibraltar-based UK motor insurer that was put into run-off. 
 
Andy, who qualified as a financial accountant in New Zealand, has had accountancy and consultancy roles within the insurance sector over the last 20 years.
 
With his strong commercial knowledge and previous experience in the UK motor market, as well as his time working in the London Market with reinsurance brokers, he brings varied skills and experience to the board.

Non-executive Director

Peter Yeoman, Bristolian by birth, with a career in banking that led him to Guernsey in 1993 and Gibraltar in 2000 to head up the NatWest business. After leaving NatWest Peter then went on to become Group COO, HR Director and Director of Gibraltar Insurance Manager and Tax advisory and Trust & Company manager, STM Fidecs from 2003 - 2009.

Since leaving STM Fidecs Peter has been operating as a self-employed business consultant offering professional personal and business development, coaching & training. Peter’s also the Chairman and franchisee for Gibraltar and Malta of The Academy for Chief Executives, a peer to peer development organisation.

A qualified counsellor and NED and now involved in the establishment of the Institute of Directors branch in Gibraltar.

Non-executive Director

Michael joined the Skyfire Board as a Non-executive Director in March 2019, having been on the First Central Group Board since 2011.

As a retired solicitor, Michael has extensive experience as a commercial lawyer in the insurance industry as a partner in a major law firm.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys long-distance walking and has a keen interest in British military history. He also enjoys mastering practical skills like carpentry.
 

Non-executive Director

Keith joined Skyfire in May 2019, having been attracted by the company’s long-term plans.

He has previously held Chief Actuary roles at Travelers Insurance Company in the UK and Zurich Insurance in Australia. In addition, he held technical roles with the Prudential Regulation Authority and Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.

With a large garden and allotments, Keith enjoys gardening, as well as travelling – particularly to view wildlife. He also likes running and has recently taken part in half marathons.
 

Head of Pricing

Veronica assumed the role of Skyfire Insurance’s Head of Pricing in 2017 having been its Actuarial Manager previously. Veronica expertly controls the development and monitoring of all technical risk pricing. Her skill lies in quickly identifying areas of good and poor performance, adjusting underwriting rates and rules instantly and so securing the Motor account’s profitability.

During her impressive 15-year pricing career in general insurance, Veronica has also held positions at Aviva and RSA in the UK.

Veronica is a health and fitness enthusiast and strives for constant personal improvement applying discipline and determination.