National Friendly has announced the promotion of its current technical lead underwriter, John Fotheringham, to head of underwriting, effective 1st March 2026.
During his six years with the Society, John has built up the underwriting team in terms of overall staffing numbers to support the business’s growth and planned expansion into new underwritten markets in 2026.
As part of his new responsibilities, John will oversee the maintenance of competitive underwriting results, including guiding overall underwriting philosophy and leading rules engine development.
"National Friendly has undergone significant transformation during my six years with the Society, and I am proud to have contributed to the progress we have achieved," John said. "The underwriting team has played a pivotal role in driving the business forward, and I am excited about supporting our continued growth and ongoing advancements in underwriting innovation."
Duncan Reeves, chief operating officer at National Friendly, added: "John has been instrumental in developing our underwriting service over the last six years. We have developed a reputation for fast underwriting decisions using experienced staff, even where customers can struggle to obtain mainstream insurance.
"Our Accident Only Income Protection and Friendly Shield offerings mean that we always have some form of protection insurance cover we can offer to customers, underlining our commitment to be the champion of the underserved."
