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Press release:

Ref: OGI0176
16th September 2009

Expansion of Open GI Board Role for David Kelly

Open GI Business Development Director, David Kelly, is set to take on responsibility for the company’s insurer partnerships following an expansion of his board role.

David’s new responsibilities include driving insurer product developments for both personal and commercial lines, particularly across Open Trader, Open GI’s new SME trading proposition.

This is in addition to his existing responsibilities which include developing new partnerships with third party companies (e.g. aggregators, premium finance providers and technology partners) and identifying opportunities to expand the range of services and facilities provided to the Open GI broker base.

The announcement coincides with Mark Ryder’s departure from the business this month, who was formerly Open GI Commercial Director.

David was appointed to the role of Business Development Director in November 2008. He was previously National Sales Manager for Open GI and has been with the company since July 2006. Prior to Open GI he enjoyed a career in Financial Services spanning 20 years, working for one of the UK’s top five banks, Lloyds TSB Group. There he held a number of senior positions within the Retail, Business and Private Banking Divisions.

Commenting on the newly expanded role, David Kelly said: “It’s great to be able to take on responsibility for such a dynamic area. Insurers see technology as a vital part of their distribution strategy and Open GI, with a 40% share of the broker market, is central to that. We work extremely closely with all of the UK and Ireland’s leading underwriters and I am looking forward to driving some major strategic projects forward. There are currently over 1,000 products on the Open GI system – a figure which continues to increase, particularly as we take on new direct insurer developments and scheme builds – both of which are high on the agenda at the moment.”

Chris Guillaume, Managing Director, Open GI, said: “Mark has done an excellent job of building our insurer partnerships throughout his career as Commercial Director for Open GI. It is important that these partnerships are maintained as we move forward and exploit new areas, particularly the electronic trading of commercial lines. David was a perfect fit for heading up the role. He has developed relationships with some of the UK’s largest brokers and high profile third party providers. It’s an exciting time for insurer development and I am pleased that Open GI is able to respond to market trends with solutions that ultimately help improve profitability.”

Mark Ryder, Former Commercial Director, Open GI, said: “I am very proud to have been associated with the business for over a decade. It has experienced a great level of success throughout the period and some major changes to both product and corporate strategy. I am confident that this success will continue well into the future.”

David is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and has a number of CII financial planning qualifications. In his spare time, David is a keen golfer.

For More Information about Open GI:
Adele Clarkson
Marketing and PR Manager
Open GI
Tel: 01905 754455
email: adele.clarkson@opengi.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

Open GI supplies market leading IT solutions to insurance brokers across the UK & Ireland. With 25,000 users in around 2,000 firms, the company has a 40% share of the UK broker market and is committed to technological innovation. Open GI technology enables personal and commercial lines brokers trading in standard and niche markets to streamline business activity and become more profitable. With a workforce of 300 people and a 30 year heritage, the company enjoys a strong financial performance. For the year ended 31 st May 2007 Open GI reported revenues of £27.3 million and an operating profit of £13.6 million.