Alex Axiom

Following her schooling in Cambridge at Queen Edith’s, Netherhall and Long Road Alex went to Sheffield to read sociology. She followed this with a Master’s degree in politics from Manchester and then went to work with Merrill Lynch. Her responsibilities within Kirly Ltd include taking an interest in all aspects of the financial services business and her comments on this below are taken from the most recent annual report.

“It is too early to say much about 2020 but our underwriting operations at Lloyd’s are showing a clear improvement for 2020 over the previous year. For exactly the same risks we are now being paid about 20% more and this has persuaded us to increase our underwriting in Chariot to £7.7m for 2021. Our open year profits will probably be favourably influenced by our decision to underwrite substantial amounts of motor business for the first time. 

Although the results of Freedom Insurance are disappointing we will be in an excellent position to trade in 2021 with better systems, higher rates and probably less competition. We have committed large sums to Freedom to fund its Covid-related losses and now own about 75% of that company. We continue to look for suitable acquisitions in travel insurance and will provide finance for such expansion.

Following the sale of its regulated company to Brown Shipley we have bought out all the external shareholders in Kirly Group Holdings Ltd (previously NW Brown Group). This has opened a new chapter for Kirly as we have both significant cash resources available and much more management time to exploit opportunities which are put to us.

We retain ownership of 20% of Cambridge Network and 100% of Cambridge Index. We continue to invest in IP in the investment management systems but have so far failed to convince anyone to use them.”