Services - Complex & Major Loss

Brian Polley
MA(Oxon), FCII, FCILA

Specialising from the outset in commercial property and business interruption, Brian joined Thomas Howell Group (now Crawfords) in 1982, becoming Midlands Business Unit Director and subsequently UK Technical Director. In 1996 he joined McLarens Toplis, heading a multi-disciplinary technical team responsible for raising the company's profile of major loss capabilities across the Midlands, South West and South Wales and was subsequently appointed Director with responsibility for national major loss development. Following the company's acquisition by Capita, he took on the additional role of Relationship Director for major insurers, including Zurich Financial Services.

One of the founders of QuestGates Limited, Brian is main board director responsible for all property loss adjusting activity. Major loss experience covers a very wide range of industries, and includes food processing (£70m), warehousing (£35m), paper and plasterboard manufacture (£4.5m), automotive (£3m) and heavy engineering (£2m).

Paul Thomas
ACII, FCILA

Starting his career with an insurer, Paul joined McLarens Toplis in 1980, becoming Regional Director with overall responsibility for the South West and South Wales. With extensive experience in complex and large property losses, Paul was appointed Major Loss Director in 1998, and since 2004 has fulfilled this role within QuestGates. Major loss experience includes steel manufacturing (£150m), supermarkets (£11m), leisure industry (£6m) and yacht manufacture (£6m).

Hugh McLelland
BSc(Surveying), FCILA

Hugh began his loss adjusting career with McLarens Toplis in 1980, combining regional management with technical and major loss adjusting. He has national and international experience of managing corporate accounts and particular expertise in dealing with large commercial claims in the licensed trade and leisure industries. He joined QuestGates in 2003 and has operational responsibility for QuestGates' Property activities in Scotland.

Examples of major losses include holiday resorts (£70m), food processing (£15m) and research laboratory (£1.2m).

Fergus Johnstone
ACII, FCILA

Fergus joined QuestGates in 2003 from the Ashworth Mairs Group, having established their Newcastle office. Prior to that he was with McLarens Toplis and has extensive commercial loss adjusting experience in the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland. He has particular experience of terrorist compensation claims. Major loss experience includes furniture retailers (£2m), supermarkets (£1.7m), banking (£1.1m) and fashion retailing (£1.2m).

Martyn Gabbitass
ACII, ACILA

Having started his career with an insurer, Martyn has over 23 years experience in loss adjusting. Specialising in complex liability issues, he is particularly skilled in the fields of products claims, contractor's claims, contractual disputes, professional indemnity, fidelity guarantee, contractual interpretation and subrogated recoveries. Martyn joined QuestGates in 2003 and is a leading member of the Complex and Major Loss team. His major loss experience includes a petrol supply pipes products claim (£7.5m), pollution claim (£4m), a US Air force public liability claim (£3.5m) and professional indemnity roofing issues (£2.25m). He is currently chairman of the Liability special interest group of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters.

Alan Dobson
BA(Hons)Law, ACII, FCILA

The Director in charge of QuestGates' Environmental Claims Division, Alan trained as a lawyer before joining GAB Robins in 1980, where he obtained in-depth knowledge and experience of all aspects of commercial/liability claims at adjuster, manager and director levels. As a key member of the national liability team for planning and implementation of strategic policy, he was responsible for the formation and development of a dedicated environmental claims service, the first in the loss adjusting sector. Alan joined QuestGates in 2003 to set up the Environmental Claims Division, which addresses not only the legal liability and material damage aspects of an environmental incident, but recognises the requirement for proactive claims handling undertaken by trained professionals with the necessary skill sets for the tasks required. Alan's experience of major loss claims includes heavy fuel oil contamination (5m), radioactive contamination (£3m), cyanide contamination (£0.5m) and pollution of water courses (£2m).

Clive Bishop
MRICS

A Chartered Quantity Surveyor with more than 15 years post qualification experience, Clive has worked on many large projects, including the Thames Barrier. Clive began his loss adjusting career in 1990. Having gained extensive subsidence, contractors all risks and commercial loss experience, he joined McLarens Toplis as a Surveyor Adjuster in 1995. He went on to become Major Loss Surveyor in 1997, before joining QuestGates in 2003 as senior UK Surveyor. Clive has extensive knowledge and experience of all forms of building defects, and in particular historic and listed buildings. His major loss experience includes warehousing (£15m), food processing (£5m), shop fitting manufacture (£2m) and leisure outlets (£2m).

Kevin Terry
MCIOB, MASI, MBEng, MaPS, MRICS, ACILA

Kevin joined the loss adjusting profession in 1989 from a construction background and is qualified in several disciplines, including building surveying, engineering, H & S planning, supervisor & party wall surveyor. Kevin's career includes major loss team involvement, all aspects of building reinstatement, including listed and historic buildings with design to satisfy legislation, as well as secondment abroad as a member of a catastrophe response team. With extensive experience in product development, client liaison and hands on customer facing activity, Kevin is responsible for our subsidence and project management disciplines, including all aspects of building & engineering works.

Heather Parkinson
BEng, FCA, FCILA

A consultant to QuestGates, Heather is a dual qualified chartered accountant and chartered loss adjuster with over 15 years experience specialising in major and/or complex business interruption, credit and other losses with a financial dimension, including losses in the wake of hurricanes and 9/11. She has experience in all areas of forensic accountancy and her work includes multi-million pound business interruption claims, material damage, liability claims and general investigations. Specific experience includes offshore oil production (£200m), utility companies (£10m) and telecommunications (£20 million), semiconductor manufacturing (£70m), drinks manufacture (£2m), automotive industry (£6m), surgical products (£3m), denial of access (£.75m), credit and pre-credit (£1m).

A consultant to QuestGates, Norman Cobley is a hugely experienced Chartered Engineer. Following an initial career in the field of statutory regulation of steam plant, Norman became a marine engineer and gained an honours degree in Engineering Science. Norman then moved into the insurance field, since when he has undertaken worldwide assignments covering the investigation of losses and damage involving a very wide range of plant, including power generation, boilers and pressure vessels, furnaces, turbines, filtration systems, hydroelectric and water treatment plant, fuel handling equipment, electric motors and mining plant.

Paul Johnson
ACA, ACILA, ACII, MBCI

Paul is a consultant to QuestGates and has over 15 years professional experience gained working with chartered loss adjusters, forensic accountants and a major global insurer. In addition to specialist knowledge of business continuity, Paul has extensive experience of complex and major loss claims including business interruption, product liability and advance loss of profits across a wide range of industry sectors.