Profile
“Follow your intuition, drive it, and be relentless about it. Energy and relentlessness matter more than people give them credit for”
Howard Pepper,
Momentum Broker Solutions
Tim Smyth is chairman of Bspoke Group and one of the UK insurance market’s most experienced and respected leaders, with more than 40 years of experience across underwriting, broking, distribution and specialist insurance businesses.
Throughout his career, Smyth has founded and successfully led several of his own businesses, alongside holding a number of senior executive and leadership roles across the insurance sector. He has played a key role in shaping the Bspoke Group’s strategic direction, supporting its transformation into a fast-growing, multi-brand specialist MGA platform focused on sustainable growth, underwriting excellence and strong broker partnerships.
Working closely with the executive leadership team, Smyth has helped guide the business through significant expansion, including strategic acquisitions, operational transformation and the continued development of specialist propositions across commercial, lifestyle, affinity and underwriting sectors. His focus on profitable growth and long-term market relevance has helped position the Group as a leading force within the UK MGA market.
Alongside his role at Bspoke Group, Smyth serves on the board of the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA). He also holds directorship positions at Yourshield and Arma Karma and is Chairman of emerging pet Insurtech, Napo. He is passionate about mentoring future talent, promoting inclusive leadership and creating businesses built for long-term success.
Press House, Narborough Business Park, Enderby LE194XT
(312) 784 6010
john.jennings@jencapgroup.com
linkedin.com/company/bspoke-insurance-group
bspokegroup.co.uk
Tim Smyth
Chairman Bspoke Group
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
“Retaining the culture you set out to build in the first place, as the business grows, is the challenge that never really goes away”
Howard Pepper,
Momentum Broker Solutions
2026–Present
2025
2023–2025
2020–2023
2016–2026
Director at Managing General Agents’ Association
2026–Present
Chairman at Bspoke Group
2025
Chief Executive Officer at Bspoke Group
2023- 2025
Chief Executive Officer at UKG and RCHL, rebranded to the Bspoke Group
2020–2023
CEO and Founding Member of Jencap
2016–2026
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
But Pepper is quick to push back on the idea that Momentum’s success is a personal achievement. When asked what accounts for it, his answer barely pauses on himself. “It is absolutely not about any individual. We have created a really good team who have been completely committed to what we are building.”
He speaks about culture with the conviction of someone who has watched it make or break organisations from the inside. “Retaining the culture you set out to build in the first place, as the business grows, is the challenge that never really goes away.”
On the industry’s future, he is characteristically straight. “We can be a bit of an industry of dinosaurs and the world is changing fast.” AI, shifting client expectations, the pace of technological change – Pepper doesn’t pretend these are problems for someone else to solve. Staying relevant, he suggests, is what keeps you honest.
As for legacy, he wants something that outlasts him: “a long-term sustainable business that creates employment and supports entrepreneurial people.” He’s prouder, he says, of the people Momentum employs and the businesses it has helped launch than anything else. “The people and the businesses we support, that is the legacy that matters.”