Dawn Derbyshire Appointed Head of Commercial Strategy at Konsileo

WHY THIS MATTERS

The appointment of Dawn Derbyshire as Head of Commercial Strategy at Konsileo, announced on June 8, 2026, represents a pivotal moment in the UK commercial insurance broking sector. It signals that the industry’s talent wars are moving away from traditional, top-down consolidated broker networks and toward highly autonomous, technology-enabled platforms. The UK commercial insurance landscape has historically been dominated by heavy consolidation. Large corporate consolidators routinely buy up independent brokers, strip away their regional autonomy, and force them into rigid, centralized sales structures.

Dawn Derbyshire has joined Konsileo as Head of Commercial Strategy, bringing more than 35 years of experience across multiple broking sectors. 

Previously Managing Director of TEn Insurance Services, now trading as Eleven Network, Dawn was responsible for regulatory and operational oversight, network growth and retention, leadership, strategic direction, and stakeholder management within the employee-owned business.  

In her new role at Konsileo, Dawn will focus on strategic execution, proposition development, growth, and distribution. She will work closely Client Directors, key partners, and the wider business, leveraging the experience and expertise that exists across Konsileo to support its continued growth ambition.   

Commenting on her appointment, Dawn said: “There wasn’t an existing role at Konsileo that matched my background, but I reached out for an off-the-record conversation — and here I am. I’d encourage anyone else who’s curious to reach out too.   

“What really appealed to me about this opportunity is the visibility across the whole business and the ability to contribute closely to strategic decision-making, commercial growth, market relationships, and overall business influence.  

“I’m particularly passionate about supporting Client Directors with practical, detailed guidance to help them grow, compete more effectively, improve profitability, and strengthen market relationships. Ultimately, that benefits both the individual brokers and the wider business.  

“Konsileo’s business model shares many similarities with a network model, in that brokers have a lot of freedom, but it’s far less hierarchical, and as employees our brokers are given a lot more support.   

“It’s inclusive, collaborative, and entrepreneurial, which contributes significantly to the success and long-term growth of the business.”  

Konsileo CEO and co-founder John Warburton commented: “We continue to grow rapidly and support a diverse community of Client Directors serving clients across many sectors and specialisms. Dawn’s appointment is about helping us to make the very most of that collective expertise, deepen client relationships and share best practice across the organisation.   

“As we look towards the next milestone of reaching £100m GWP we’re lucky to have her on our team.” 

FF NEWS TAKE

Konsileo is executing a sophisticated leadership play to convert its viral workplace flexibility into structured commercial growth. By securing Derbyshire—the former Managing Director of TEn Insurance Services (now Eleven Network)—Konsileo is onboarding a leader with more than 35 years of deep insurance expertise. Crucially, she brings a wealth of experience in managing regulatory oversight, carrier distribution agreements, and broker retention within employee-owned networks.

Derbyshire’s core mandate under CEO and co-founder John Warburton will be to transform how the firm’s decentralized community of Client Directors shares expertise across diverse market specialisms. Rather than imposing restrictive corporate quotas, Derbyshire will focus on building pre-packaged strategy toolkits, expanding access to elite capacity pools, and refining placement frameworks.

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