Contact
About Forte

Helping Insurance Brokers Grow!

Established in 2023 by Stuart Applegate, to address the needs of smaller to medium sized insurance brokers. Focusing on growth, mostly through sales, but also organically and by acquisition.

Our Services

Insurance Sales Training

Aimed mainly at small brokers looking for growth, to regional brokers looking to improve the performance of their sales team. If your book is based on commercial combined, property, casualty, fleet and PI, mid market SME’s, typically £1m to £50m turnover companies, this is absolutely the course for you
Read More

Business Growth

If income has remained fairly static for the past few years, and you’re just not sure how to drive the business forward, let me help you. Having run my own business, and grown it by 400% in preparation for a sale, I’d love to help you achieve similar results. Ideally aimed at brokers with up to 20 employees, single site or small regional brokers.
Read More

Holiday cover

Have you ever found yourself taking that important call just as you’re about to tuck into your starter in that romantic beach side restaurant. Have you ever asked the kids to be quiet for 5 minutes whist you deal with an important claim, when all they want you to do is put the finishing touches to their sandcastle.
Read More

Contact us Today!

For more information on our training services

Contact Us
Stuart Applegate

Founder of Forte Insurance Sales Training

Stuart began working in the insurance industry in 1985. Always working in the broking sector, in the South East, and at various brokers across the North of England. From brokers with a £1m GWP, but mostly in the £5m GWP range, through to the might of Aon.

Only operating in the commercial insurance space, his experience includes running National Sales Teams, to simply quadrupling the bottom line revenue through sales.

Rather than reciting the generic ‘the six principals of’ book, Stuart’s unique sales techniques talk about real World sales, with real clients.

What the FCA think should happen, and how it really happens, are often millions of miles apart. Forte insurance sales training teaches new business sales and growth in a way that’s never been done before, and it guarantees success.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Stuart's History

  1. 1985
  2. 1987
  3. 1988
  4. 1991
  5. 1993
  6. 2002
  7. 2005
  8. 2006
  9. 2008
  10. 2012
  11. 2013
  12. 2016
  13. 2020
  14. 2023
  15. 2024

  1. 1985

    Like most people in Insurance, I fell into this career, taking my first position at a small independent brokers in Stockport, near Manchester

  2. 1987

    Following the acquisition of a large chain in South London, I transferred to Croydon to integrate the business

  3. 1988

    My first opportunity arose to work in the commercial insurance sector at Shephards, an Independent brokers in Bromley, Kent, specialising in fleets and SME packages, mainly focusing on new business

  4. 1991

    I returned to the North West, taking a position at Wilsons, working in a busy high street office, predominantly in the sales team

  5. 1993

    Back down South to Shephard Herriot in Kent, taking a position of Commercial Account Exec, responsible for driving Commercial new business and growth within the company. Working in London and the Home Counties, mainly with clients paying up to £100k in premium

  6. 2002

    My final return to the North, taking a position at Bridge Insurance, Manchester, where I was purely responsible for commercial new business and sales. I placed over £2m GWP of new business into the team during my tenure at Bridge

  7. 2005

    I was head hunted by Smart & Cook, Yorkshire, again to drive new business growth, this time across Yorkshire and the North West. Another three successful years increasing revenue significantly

  8. 2006

    During my time at Smart & Cook, I gained my ACII qualification. I am also a Chartered Insurance Broker

  9. 2008

    Again, I was head hunted, this time by Giles Insurance, Leeds. I was responsible for a team of 9, overseeing new business sales across the North. I also headed up Giles Corporate for the North, working with the board, in London, and became involved in acquisitions of other brokers

  10. 2012

    Following the sale of Giles to Gallaghers, I moved to Aon Manchester, working exclusively in the Professional Indemnity team on new business

  11. 2013

    Much preferring the regional broker set up, I was recruited to a develop commercial new business at Sagar Insurance in Lancashire. After 3 years growing the business significantly, the owners positioned the business for a sale to GRP

  12. 2016

    Having wanting to go it alone for some time, I started HK Applegate Insurance in Lancashire, a division of a Yorkshire broker. I grew my book from £zero to almost £2m GWP in 4 years

  13. 2020

    I undertook a 100% asset purchase of Margins Insurance, a small independent broker in Burnley. Under my company Applegate IB Ltd, I became directly authorised, partnered with Hedron, and purposefully changed the business from predominantly personal lines, to a respected leading commercial broker in the East Lancashire region

  14. 2023

    Turnover increased by 400%, purely through organic growth and new business

  15. 2024

    I accepted on offer from Financial Affairs Insurance Services for a 100% share purchase of my business