First2Protect Insurance has appointed Laura Thomas as its head of business development operations.
In her role at First2Protect Insurance, she will play a “pivotal role” in growing the firm’s market presence and forging key relationships.
She will lead the “development and execution of business operations aimed at accelerating growth and maximising opportunities for the company”.
Thomas joins from Paymentshield, where she worked for around six years, initially as a telephone business development manager (BDM) and then as a sales operations assistant.
Lee Denton, head of business development at First2Protect Insurance, welcomed Laura Thomas to the team, stating: “We are delighted to welcome Laura to First2Protect and are confident that her expertise will be instrumental in driving our business development efforts.
“Her appointment reflects our commitment to attracting top talent and reinforces our dedication to delivering innovative insurance solutions to our clients.”
Thomas added: “I am thrilled to be part of the First2Protect team and to have the opportunity to contribute to the company’s growth and success. I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive business operations initiatives that will further elevate First2Protect’s position in the market.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
