BARBON INSURANCE GROUP STRENGTHENS BOARD WITH NEW APPOINTMENT

April 6, 2017

Barbon Insurance Group Ltd (Barbon), the UK’s leading provider of risk solutions to the residential lettings sector, via its HomeLet and Rentshield Direct brands, has appointed Mark Witherspoon as non-executive director, subject to the usual regulatory approval.

Mark brings extensive experience across retail financial services and property sectors.  He is currently Data Services Director at Zoopla Property Group.  Mark has led the development of a wide range of innovative data services for the UK property sector, including a number of successful commercial collaborations with other leading digital players. He has previously held leadership roles at major companies including Hometrack Data Systems Ltd UKValuation Ltd and Barclays Bank and is non-executive director of Hearthstone Investments plc and edozo.

Barbon, trading as HomeLet and Rentshield, works with many of the leading letting agents in the UK, who rely on its market leading tenant referencing service, as well as tens of thousands of landlords and tenants as policyholders of its specialist insurance products.  The company also produces the HomeLet Rental Index™, the most comprehensive and up-to-date data on new tenancies and rental prices across the UK, which provides valuable and comprehensive insights for its customers.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark said: “I am excited to be joining Barbon at a time when it is well positioned to earn the right to be an important strategic partner for the private rental sector. Being able to capitalise on the HomeLet brand’s unique insights, available from its wealth of consumer data, represents an opportunity to add huge value for both the company and its customers.

Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both the property sector and data analytics and insights.  He will support Barbon’s management team which is committed to accelerating the pace of innovation in the business and providing solutions to opportunities and challenges in the private rented sector.

Barbon, acquired by The Carlyle Group in 2015, has the financial strength and market leadership to capitalise on the expected growth in the private rental sector. With political will to increase the total supply of housing stock available, some of which will become private rental property, the sector is forecast to continue the growth seen in recent years.

Barbon CEO Martin Totty said: “Mark is an excellent addition to the Barbon board and the HomeLet brand.  His extensive experience in property, financial services and the digital arena will be important in helping us in our next phase. His background in data analytics will help us utilise Barbon’s unique and proprietary data to offer unrivalled strategic insights to our customers and capitalise on our role as an innovative partner within the private rental sector.”

Breaking News by: Hayley Hayley@mcgrorycommunications.com

 

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

what is happening to house prices
Letting Agent Talk

Smart Upgrades: Boosting Rental Property Value Without Breaking the Bank

Most landlords don’t have a vault of gold stashed away for renovations. If you do, good for you (and maybe hide it better?). But for the rest of us, improving a rental property usually means walking a tightrope between cost and ROI. So what can you actually do that won’t drain your savings, and still…
Read More →
Home and Living

Creating the Perfect Rental: Balancing Aesthetics, Functionality, and ROI

Let’s get this out of the way: “perfect” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that title. Because, really, no rental is perfect. Not for everyone. Not forever. But if you’re aiming to create a rental that looks good, works well, and pays you back in more than just stress headaches? You’re in the…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

The Landlord’s Guide to Hassle-Free Maintenance and Long-Term Tenant Satisfaction

Do you own rental property? If yes, you already know that you are being put on a test: keeping things running smoothly while somehow managing not to lose your mind (or your best tenants). Maintenance. It’s not fun. But neglect it, and your rental becomes a revolving door of disappointed tenants and mounting repair bills.…
Read More →
Breaking News

Inheritance Tax Receipts raise £0.8 billion in one month

Inheritance tax receipts hit £0.8 billion in April 2025 according to data released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) this morning. This is £97 million higher than in April of the previous tax year, and continues an upward trend over the last two decades. With such a strong start to the new tax year, predictions that Inheritance tax…
Read More →
Breaking News

Zoopla research reveals homeownership outranks marriage as top priority for UK adults

A new survey from Zoopla reveals that 48 per cent of UK renters in a relationship are prioritising saving for a home over a wedding, with this figure rising to 59 per cent amongst Gen Z The financial pressures of saving for a home have resulted in a fifth considering postponing marriage in favour of…
Read More →
Breaking News

London rental market rebalances amid rising supply

Foxtons data shows There was a 5% increase in market supply in April, and a 9%, increase in market supply of new instructions year to date The average rent in April 2025 increased by 3% to stand at £589 per week April saw a 3% month-on-month reduction in applicant registrations, which goes against the trend…
Read More →