Lark History

Roger Lark & Sons was established as a Lloyd’s broker in 1948 by Roger Lark. In its infancy the majority of the business came from sub-agents across the UK, who needed a Lloyd’s broker to act as their placing broker. The first office was in Marland House, Mark Lane, chosen for its proximity to Lloyd’s. After 12 years the company moved to Ibex House, Minories, in response to the demand for more space to house the expanding business.
 
After 16 years at the helm, in 1964, Roger Lark retired as an active partner. The minutes of that meeting note,
 
"It was stated by Mr Roger Lark that he intended to retire on the 31 March 1964. Mr John Lark and Mr Robert Lark agreed that special mention should be recorded in the minutes of the great service Mr Roger Lark, the founder member of the firm, had given to the business since its foundation in 1948. He had seen immense expansion in the business whilst at its head and this growth was in no small way due to his personal efforts.
 
He will continue to attend the office in the capacity of Consultant, and his two sons, the continuing partners, will be very happy to have him at their sides."
 
Recognising the benefits of leaving the City, in 1967, Roger Lark & Sons were one of the first Lloyd’s brokers to leave London. Barking, Essex, was chosen as the new location. It was ideal, not only did it have direct access to the City, which was only 15 minutes away by train, but it was also an emerging business area. Lower rental costs allowed the company more floor space, enabling continued growth.
 
The following year, Roger Lark retired fully, and the company embarked on a highly successful association with Sedgwick. The agreement was that Roger Lark & Sons would take on Sedgwick’s small personal business, which they saw as a stepping stone to a growing relationship.
 
In the years that followed, Roger Lark & Sons, in association with Sedgwick, saw several mergers and acquisitions and the company continued to thrive.
 
In 1977, the company took Barry Page on board with the aim of building a Life Assurance account. Following a successful start, Barry was appointed as the Director of Roger Lark Life & Pensions Brokers Limited.
 
Once again, in 1986, the company needed to relocate to bigger premises to accommodate the growing business, so they simply wheeled the furniture and files across the road into Wigham House, Barking, where they still reside today.
 
In recognition of the 23 year association with Sedgwick, the company changed their name to Roger Lark & Sedgwick in 1990.
 
The following years saw the company boost its revenue following acquisitions of Griffiths & Drew and Davies & Thompson Ltd, based in Maidstone, Kent. It was decided to keep the offices of Davies & Thompson to benefit the growing number of clients based in that area.
 
In 1998, Sedgwick announced its plans to merge with Marsh, and so in 1999 the company changed its name once again to Lark Insurance Broking Group and became a Limited company. At this time there were still 3 members of the Lark family involved in the company, now on the Board of Directors.
 
The company’s aim was to increase their presence in the South East of England. The first phase of this was acquiring the insurance broking business of Investec Bank. By keeping their staff and offices, the company once again had a base in the City of London. Following a restructure of the Barking based Corporate Client division, the team moved to the City office, taking on new premises and returning to Ibex House after a gap of 40 years.
 
In 2005/06 the company acquired four businesses, Tolson Messenger, Argent Insurance Brokers, Ascot Insurance Brokers Ltd and Somerville Insurance Services, retaining the staff from each business, and the premises in Colchester and Sandhurst, and so expanding its presence in the South East.
 
Although the company maintains its plans for growth, with two members of the Lark family still on the Board of Directors, Lark Group continues to benefit from the essence of a family business.
 
With a strong belief in staff loyalty, Lark is proud that over 60 of its 250 staff have worked at Lark’s for over 10 years, and rewards the loyalty of long serving employees.
 
Today, the Group comprises LIBG Limited trading as Lark Insurance Broking Group, which deals with general insurance for both private and corporate clients, and Lark Life & Pensions Limited, which handles the financial services side of the business.