People
Alan Gale, Chairman
alan.gale@laplaya.co.uk
Alan joined the La Playa Board in 2000. He trained as an investment analyst with Bankers Trust Company before becoming a specialist retail analyst with stockbrokers Spencer Thornton and then moving to The Royal Trust Company of Canada as a fund manager.
Having decided he had had enough of analysing other people's businesses, he left to join an industrial group. Alan has headed several companies and now works principally in property development in the UK and overseas, with interests in Spain and Eastern Europe - as well as working on La Playa's corporate development.
Mark Boon, Managing Director ACII
Direct Tel: (01223) 200651
Mobile: 07808 329555
mark.boon@laplaya.co.uk
With thirty years' experience in the industry, Mark Boon is a specialist in insurance for the media, arts and technology fields. He has in-depth understanding of working practice in these areas, and first hand experience of handling multi-million pound claims. Mark Boon is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Matthew Mullee, Private Client Director
Direct Tel: (01223) 200652
Mobile: 07808 329556
matt.mullee@laplaya.co.uk
Matthew Mullee has nineteen years of insurance broking and underwriting
experience, and with professional studies at the Regent Academy
of Fine Arts, has developed a wealth of specialist knowledge in
the field. He is an expert in insurance for period property and
listed buildings, as well as for art, antiques and jewellery collections.
Matthew Clark ACII, Director, Technology Division
Direct Tel: (01223) 200667
Mobile: 07775 537387
matthew.clark@laplaya.co.uk
Matthew is one of the most experienced insurance brokers in the
UK's science and technology sectors. He joined us from Lark Insurance,
where he had responsibility for their technology brand TMX Risk
Solutions. Matthew has over twenty years' experience in commercial
insurance, three of which were spent in Saudi Arabia advising
major oil and construction companies on their risk management
and insurance programmes. He has developed an in-depth understanding
of the risks associated with emerging and disruptive technologies
and the exposures such companies face. Matthew is an Associate
of the Chartered Insurance Institute, and a Chartered Insurance
Broker. He can be seen each evening leather-clad, speeding off
into the night on his Triumph bike.
Mike Palmer, Financial Services Manager
Direct Tel: (01223) 200674
mike.palmer@laplaya.co.uk
Mike joined La Playa in 2009 with more than 25 years experience in financial services, advising individuals and companies on a plethora of tax, investment and pension issues. Heading up the new financial services arm, Mike takes a holistic approach to financial planning, providing a bespoke service for all his clients. When Mike is not advising, he loves to travel with his family and especially enjoys visiting the Greek isles.
Hanna
Beaumont FIRM, Senior Corporate Account Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200664
hanna.beaumont@laplaya.co.uk
Hanna Beaumont joined us in 2006 from the City,
where she spent six years in commercial insurance and risk management
at Aon, looking after UK and global technology clients. Hanna
is a qualified Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management and,
from La Playa's base at the hub of Cambridge's "Silicon Fen",
she advises technology companies on insurance and risk management
issues in both Life Sciences and ICT. Hanna also enjoys horse
riding, running, water skiing, cycling, golf, reading and painting.
Edwina Peck, Corporate Account Handler
Direct Tel: (01223) 200675
edwina.peck@laplaya.co.uk
Eddy joined La Playa in 2009 from Swansea university where she gained a First Class Masters in Physics. New to the insurance industry, Eddy is keen to put her physics knowledge into practice, working with the entrepreneurial Science & Technology team. Passionate about horses, Eddy enjoys carriage driving and riding in competitions across the UK. When she isn't riding horses you might find her sewing or enjoying some home-baked goods.
Juliet Allan, Marketing Director
Direct Tel: (01223) 200658
Mobile: 07808 329557
juliet.allan@laplaya.co.uk
Juliet's background is in arts marketing. A Cambridge music graduate,
she also has qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing
and is a member of the Arts Marketing Association. Juliet joined
La Playa in 1999 and is responsible for all marketing and PR operations,
including editorship of the legendary News from the Beach!
Katie Gouskos, Marketing Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200668
katie.gouskos@laplaya.co.uk
Katie is an English literature graduate, from Greek and Australian
descent and joined La Playa in April 2008. Previously working
in the environmental sector, Katie joins the editorial team for
News from the Beach as well as working in event management
and all aspects of our marketing. A beach aficionado, Katie also
considers herself a Ballroom and Latin dancing queen.
Stuart Osborne, Head of Film & TV Practice
Tel: 020 7065 2669
Mobile: 07789 756330
stuart.osborne@laplaya.co.uk
Stuart joined La Playa in January 2009 from Aon where he specialised in media and entertainment insurance. Stuart brings more than 16 years of specialist knowledge to the Film & TV Practice at La Playa. Stuart's hobbies include playing pool and semi-professional poker, and cooking traditional and Asian food.
Tracey McCreath ACII, Senior Corporate Account Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200655
tracey.mccreath@laplaya.co.uk
Tracey left the City to join us in September 2007 from Aon, where
she advised businesses ranging from mid-sized to global on their
insurance portfolios. Tracey has nearly two decades' experience
in insurance and spent a year as a Business Improvement Analyst.
She enjoys cooking, calligraphy, football, travel and cinema.
Paula
Hawthorne ACII, Corporate Account Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200654
paula.hawthorne@laplaya.co.uk
Paula is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Insurance and was previously a City loss adjuster and more recently worked at a Cambridge broker. She has 15 years' experience in the industry, and particularly in claims and commercial broking. Her private interests include music and being a "fair-weather" sailor.
Sonia Maio, Account Handler
Direct Tel: (01223) 200670
sonia.maio@laplaya.co.uk
After working on several key projects for La Playa we convinced Sonia to join us permanently in October 2008. Sonia comes from a commercial background with expertise in financial services. A skilled seamstress - she can whip up a pair of curtains in a flash - Sonia is also something of an expert in Italian cuisine, growing her own herbs and tomatoes and cooking to her mother-in-law's traditional recipes. She relaxes, albeit infrequnetly, with a really good book.
Mike Cullen, Private Client Senior
Account Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200663
mike.cullen@laplaya.co.uk
Mike joined us in September 2007, with over thirty years' experience
in underwriting and broking. Formerly a director of Moffat Saunders,
Mike initiated the private client division there, and built up
a client base of individuals with complicated assets to insure.
His prickly passion is growing cactuses, a field in which he has
become a renowned expert! Mike is a regular supplier of plants
to Kew Gardens.
Rod Lamb, Private Client Senior
Account Executive
Tel: 020 7065 2667
Mobile:
07771 528092
rod.lamb@laplaya.co.uk
Rod joined La Playa in February 2009 from international broker Marsh. Rod has worked within the personal insurance industry for more than twenty years; his experience includes managing complex risks and arranging cover for high profile individuals, business people and multi-faceted family portfolios. Rod is a keen fan of classic British comedy, especially the Ealing film comedies of the 1950s and the 'Carry On' series.
Amy
Bridger CII Cert., Private Client Account Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200662
amy.bridger@laplaya.co.uk
Amy was previously a Technical Underwriter at NIG in Peterborough, where she specialised in Electronic Data Interchange, and prior to that worked at Countrywide Insurance Marketing. Amy is a keen artist, enjoys interior design and architecture, and still has energy for horse-riding, dancing and kick-boxing. She joined La Playa in October 2005.
Gareth Oliver Cotton, Private Client Account Executive
Direct Tel: (01223) 200665
gareth.cotton@laplaya.co.uk
Gareth joined us in 2006 for a marketing research project, and
moved to the Private Client Division in July 2007. Prior to this,
he studied Business Management at Anglia Ruskin University. Gareth
spends his evenings in the studio as a dance music producer/engineer
and describes himself as a "bit of a gym junkie".
Julie
Brooklyn, Office Manager
Direct Tel: (01223) 200660
julie.brooklyn@laplaya.co.uk
Julie has worked in financial services for twenty years, as Branch
Manager at the Woolwich Building Society and then in financial
planning at N W Brown and Company in Cambridge. She keeps a watchful
eye on the La Playa systems, and helped to develop our bespoke
relational database. Outside work, Julie is Manager and Coach
of the Histon Hornets Girls Football Team.
Adrienne Murphy, Financial Controller
Direct Tel: (01223) 200659
adrienne.murphy@laplaya.co.uk
Adrienne is a Chartered Accountant who trained with Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers) more years ago than she cares to remember! Adrienne worked in their Growing business division and later in Forensic Accounting, gaining a supreme set of skills including accountancy, audit, tax and HR matters. Adrienne is a Treasurer of a charity supporting a hostel for homeless girls in Cambridge; she enjoys Pilates and the gym - intermittently!
Jennifer Jones, Accounts Manager
Direct Tel: (01223) 200659
jennifer.jones@laplaya.co.uk
Jenny joined us in 2007 from her Business Studies degree course at Kingston University. Jenny is currently studying towards her CIMA qualification and lets off steam through dancing, badminton, swimming and athletics. Jenny has a strong interest in travel and spent three years living in Asia.
Please email
us to receive more information. [privacy
policy]