The Eggar Forrester Group, UK

Eggar Forrester has been providing services to businesses and individuals for over 130 years. For the last 45 years it has been run by members of the Willcox family. It is as shipbrokers that the name Eggar Forrester is still best known internationally, especially in India, the far east and Canada: a few years ago its team was one of the largest in the world having acquired the even older shipbroking company, C.W. Kellock, which added new areas of specialisation in Admiralty Court sales and ship valuation. Paul Willcox (passion: running) has pruned back this side of the business and now services only those clients whom he can cover personally. He is supported by Michael Brace and Simon Robinson, who serve as directors on the subsidiary board while each running their own independent shipbroking businesses: between them the three offer over 100 years of experience in the shipping industry.

Eggar Forrester acquired Douglas and Gordon in the late 1970's, when it was a single small office near Sloane Square. Michael Hodgson (passion: cricket) and Ivor Dickinson (passions: rock music, Newcastle United) have built it to a chain of 15 offices throughout south west London, making it one of the largest in London. D&G are known for their astonishing level of customer satisfaction, innovation, and fun advertising campaigns.

Eggar Forrester have had offices at Tilbury docks for over 30 years, where David Morgan (passion: rugby) and Peter Wilson (passion: deep sea fishing) are two of the most experienced people in the business. Their team cover all ports in South East England, and are currently particularly geared up to handle the increased traffic generated by the 2012 Olympics.

Eggar Forrester's insurance broking company operates from the group's headquarters in the City under the personal supervision of the group's Chief Accountant Rakesh Zaveri (passion: family), and is particulalry geared to property, both commercial and domestic