Key Personnel

James Heald Dip Cll Managing Director

Prior to starting his career in recruitment, James was a Corporate Insurance Broker for a leading national intermediary, where he obtained the Dip CII qualification. From there, he went on to work for a national recruitment consultancy, specialising in General Insurance, after which in 2008, he fulfilled his personal dream of setting up his own business: Aston Charles. He has a wealth of experience in recruiting across all areas of the General Insurance industry, but in particular, specialises in the insurer market, which includes composites, MGAs and Lloyd’s Syndicates. James keeps abreast of industry developments by regularly attending insurance lectures, seminars and networking events, and still has many friends in the industry with whom he can ‘talk shop.’ Outside of work, when he’s not looking after his 2 young sons, James enjoys writing and playing music; he’s a published songwriter, and enjoyed a short-lived career in the music industry in his youth. He also ‘enjoys’ circuit training and learning to play golf.

Richard Jones Director

Richard started his career working for a large insurer, encompassing both claims handling and sales, where he was recognised as Sales Person of the Year in 2005. Shortly after this, he decided to take the plunge and pursue his dream career in recruitment, joining an Executive Headhunting firm as a General Insurance Search & Selection Consultant. Richard joined Aston Charles in 2009, and was appointed to the Board within 2 years, where he now tends to focus on the broking market and Credit Insurance arena. With an impressive amount of team moves, broker acquisitions and Director / C Suite placements to his name, Richard clearly excels with the Aston Charles’ higher profile assignments. In his spare time, he enjoys running, a good book, cooking, and whenever possible, walking in his native Lake District or Yorkshire Dales.

Annie Hawksworth Resourcer

Annie joined Aston Charles in 2018, having previously worked for a national agency. She has gained extensive experience within both the Financial Services and Insurance divisions, and oversees research and candidate resourcing across a wide variety of roles. In addition, Annie is heavily involved with Aston Charles’ marketing, including advertising, website maintenance and social media. Outside of work, Annie enjoys cooking, dining out, getting dressed up, and going for walks with her dog, Alfie.

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