About Us

Uniquely, we are 100% owned by the UK general insurance industry. Our sole purpose is to improve digital trading for the industry and the products that we have designed to enable this, are widely used within our industry.

The advisory groups that support our products provide us over 1,000 hours of industry insight every year, helping to shape the development of our products.

Our digital trading Standards are used market-wide by insurers, brokers and software houses. They are the “language” of digital trading allowing multiple systems to communicate.

ProductWriter our market leading rating engine allows insurers and MGAs to define, build and distribute their products at scale.

imarket our gateway that provides connectivity for the commercial lines market, connecting insurers to distribution systems.

Meet the team

Polaris Board

Members

Glyn Hughes

Ageas

Director of Personal Lines Underwriting & Pricing

Helen Bryant

Allianz

Director, Digital Trading

Phil Thorn

Aon UK

Chief Operating Officer

Rebecca Gambrell

Aviva

Director of SME

David Birch

Gallagher UK

Managing Director – SME & Partnerships

Vivek Banga

Polaris

Managing Director

Rob Flynn (Chair)

RSA

Managing Director, UK SME

Will Edwards

Zurich

Head of Retail SME

Shareholders

Insurers

Ageas

AIG

Allianz

Aviva

Chubb

Ecclesiastical

NIG

RSA

Zurich

Brokers

Aon Risk Services

Ardonagh Group

Gallagher UK

JLT

Marsh

Willis Towers Watson

Our History

  • Over 500,000 annualised policies for first time through imarket
2023
  • 20,000 Live-chats per month through imarket Live-Chat
  • Between 2019 and 2022 gender mix increased from 20% women to 50%
  • Introduction of hybrid working
  • Motorhome product standard developed
  • 30 organisations and over 250 users are now on ProductWriter Cloud
  • Polaris re-accredited for ISO 27001
2022
  • Polaris’ highest ever unique client count, for both Standards and ProductWriter
  • Over 100k imarket Live-Chats conversations between brokers & insurers
  • First Live-Chat chatbot deployed
  • Implementation of updated Property Owners Small Standard across four software houses and nine insurers
  • Relaunch of Polaris website
2021
  • Despite lockdowns in the UK economy, imarket’s e-trading policy count grows by 4% to an all–time high of 482,000
  • ProductWriter offers clients the capability to use machine learning models for rating
  • ProductWriter’s Cloud offering continues to grow, with over 150 users transitioned
  • Polaris’ Standards Management platform comprehensively updated providing API functionality
2020
  • ProductWriter Cloud is launched.
  • imarket breaks through 400k policies.
  • Vivek Banga joins as MD
2019
  • imarket reaches 6,000 live-chats per month
  • imarket breaks through 300,000 policies a year
  • ProductWriter first line support moves in-house
2018
  • The Polaris Online Database (POD) becomes truly online, providing subscribers with browser based access to code lists, message definitions and structures for E.
2017
  • imarket Live-Chat service is launched providing imarket integrated Brokers with a single solution to chat with Insurers.
  • Polaris introduces its ‘Good Customer Outcomes’ initiative. Helping brokers secure good outcomes for their clients via their imarket e-trading solutions
2016
  • Polaris launch new website and re-brand
2015
  • QBE becomes the latest insurer to provide commercial insurance products via imarket
  • imarket contract with IBM is renewed, including a transition to host imarket on IBM cloud
2014
  • imarket transactions increase by 60%
  • Polaris celebrates 20 years of supporting the industry
  • RSA & Allianz go live on imarket with new products
2013
  • Open GI announces plans to integrate their commercial e-trading platform with imarket
  • Website relaunches – bringing together Standards, ProductWriter and imarket
2010
  • Extension of Logica UK Limited’s ProductWriter contract until 2019
2009
  • Our ProductWriter rating engine (RTE) powers the launch of Irish insurer FBD’s new website in just three months
  • Celebration of 3,000 broker firm members to imarket
2008
  • Schema based dictionaries launch, allowing easier product definition
  • Swinton goes live on imarket
2007
  • Work begins to integrate software house systems with imarket
2004
  • imarket platform launches for the trading of commercial lines insurance between brokers and insurers
  • imarket UK roadshows visit 12 locations, attracting over 2,000 intermediary businesses
2003
  • IBM appointed to handle technical development and implementation of imarket
2002
  • The Association of British Insurers transfer their e-trading support services to Polaris following an internal reorganisation, bringing all UK general insurance standards together under one roof – Polaris.
2001
  • The Commercial Lines Market Initiative (CLMI Limited), which previously controlled commercial lines standards, merges with Polaris
1998
  • Polaris appoints Logica UK Ltd to handle technical development, implementation and customer support activity for ProductWriter
1997
  • ProductWriter launches
1995
  • Polaris founded by Commercial Union, Eagle Star, General Accident, Guardian Royal Exchange, Norwich Union, Royal Insurance and Sun Alliance
1993