Stephen Holmes, of Holmes Insurance Brokers, has joined Partners& as National SME Sales Development Director. The move is part of its strategy to turbo-charge its SME proposition and develop a market leading offering for owner-managed businesses across the UK, a segment it believes is underserved by many brokers today.
Holmes Insurance Brokers is a well-respected insurance broking business based in Dudley, which joined Partners& in February 2026. Stephen, who leads the team, was recognised as one of the Insurance Business UK Rising Stars in 2022.
Stephen brings an insight, energy and passion about owner managed businesses that is directly in line with Partners&’s ambitions to boost the levels of care, advice and protection provided to clients, to help them understand what insurance they have and why they have it.
Stephen said, “I’m excited to be part of Partners& and for the vision they have for SME clients in the UK. We look forward to delivering something of real value to the market that makes the SME proposition for clients second to none. We will be bringing our skills into Partners& and be looking to make big impact on the SME space in the near future.
“The Partners& concept of “discovery” is very much aligned to the way I work with clients. We always take the time to explain to our clients that it is more than ticking a box, it’s an alignment with the insurance product. It’s about building genuine partnerships. This approach results in a better outcome for the client and contributes to our high retention rates.”
Phil Barton said: “I believe Stephen will play a key role in accelerating our SME organic growth strategy and super-charging our new business capability across the SME team. His vision at Holmes, not dissimilar to that of Partners&, was to deliver a service that was focused on advice, transparency, and clarity. His reputation for discovery and his ethical way of doing business has earned him respect in the market. With his approach to clients, innovative way of thinking and can-do attitude, I have no doubt he will make a great contribution to the ongoing success of Partners&.
Stephen has been a Broker Champion for Gracechurch in partnership with BIBA and is an Advisory Board Member with BIBA for SME & Medium-sized Enterprises in the UK. He was shortlisted as Young Broker of the Year Award in 2023 and Holmes Insurance was shortlisted for Commercial Lines Broker of the Network at Movo Partnership in 2023. In 2024, they also won Insurance Business UK’s 5-Star Brokerages in 2024
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