Overview and key points
Blackford Group, the Glasgow-based insurance broker, has joined UK insurance advisory business Partners& to expand its client service and claims capabilities. Its 20-strong team will all join Partners& as part of the move.
The deal will see Blackford founder Tom Aldridge become Managing Partner for Client Management, working alongside North CEO Ewan MacDonald, who led Inverness-based MacDonald Group which became part of Partners& three years ago and rebranded on 1 April 2025. The combined businesses now have offices in Aberdeen, Benbecula, Dundee, Edinburgh, Helensburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Perth.
Blackford was founded in 2019 and provides commercial insurance and cover for high-net worth individuals and their families. It officially became Partners& on April 28.
Partners& was launched by insurance industry veteran Phil Barton, Group CEO, in April 2020 to challenge the insurance market which he believed suffered from increasing commoditisation and diminishing client service.
The aim of Partners& is to provide clients with seamless advice across the full spectrum of business insurance, private client insurance, employee benefits, risk management and claims, and help them to understand what they are buying, and why.
The Blackford and MacDonald deals were both predicated on a cultural fit – each business committed to client service and creating great places for people to work.
Tom said: “We’ve known Phil and the Partners& team for many years. Phil’s view of working in partnership with clients always resonated, and we always had the same view on working in partnership with clients.
“Blackford’s success over the last five years is a result of determinedly putting clients and people first. We felt the time was right to join Partners& to help us offer more services for our clients without losing the personal touch which is so important to us.
“I always wanted to change the way clients perceive insurance. As part of the team at Partners& we’ll be able to do that on a national scale while still working very closely with our clients ensuring they have the right protection cover for their businesses and families.”
Ewan MacDonald said: “Blackford is a business we’ve admired over recent years, so it feels like a natural development to bring such a great business into the Partners& team. Together, we can support our clients to grow and succeed, whilst bringing the best of both businesses to our client network throughout the UK. I’m very much looking forward to working with Tom and this great team as we continue to grow the business in Scotland.”
The MacDonald Group was founded in 1978, providing specialist business insurance, personal insurance and claims management advice to small, medium and large clients across a range of sectors from distilleries and hospitality to engineering and construction.
Ewan continued: “I’m immensely proud of the journey we have travelled. My main aim has always been to keep people at the heart of our thinking – both our clients and our team.
“Joining Partners& was the right move three years ago, as it has enabled us to provide additional services to our clients and provide great support around their many business challenges. The move also benefited our people by providing them with fantastic career opportunities that a leading business such as Partners& can create.”