Barbon appoints new boss Martin Totty

Barbon Insurance Group has announced the appointment of Martin Totty as its new CEO.

The appointment, which is subject to regulatory approval, takes effect from November 4.

Totty, who has a substantial track record in the insurance industry, takes over from acting CEO Ian Sutherland, who will leave the business after a short handover period.

Barbon has also announced that Malcolm McCaig is to succeed Jamie Drummond-Smith as chairman of Barbon from today.

McCaig said: “We are delighted that someone of Martin Totty’s calibre is joining Barbon.  I look forward to his motivational leadership of the firm as we continue to develop and strengthen our market-leading position in the residential lettings market.

“The board would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ian Sutherland and Jamie Drummond-Smith for their invaluable contribution and commitment over the past few years. We wish them every success for the future.”

Barbon’s lettings brands are HomeLet, Letsure and Rentshield.

Last year, there was uproar when HomeLet's popular managing director John Boyle and business development director Heidi Abbott were sacked. Both strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

The sackings came after the then city regulator, the Financial Services Authority, demanded that HomeLet investigate contracts used by letting agents and which insisted that tenants take out insurance of their own possessions.