Reading: Blandy & Blandy advises sale of training services provider

Partner David Few and solicitor Stuart Rose, in Blandy & Blandy LLP’s corporate and commercial team, have advised on the sale of Searchlight Insurance Training, the UK’s leading provider of training services to the insurance services sector, to London-based Thistle Initiatives.

Searchlight will continue to operate as a separate and distinct brand and continue to provide the same range of high quality services via the existing experienced team. However, Thistle Initiatives will now have access to a broader portfolio of products and services via the new team.

Ian Jerrum, managing director of Searchlight Insurance Training, said: “This is excellent news for Searchlight, our trainers and consultants, and above all our customers. With the resources, expertise and scale of Thistle behind us, we look forward to delivering a better than ever service to all our well established and expanding customer community.”

James Dingwall, chief executive of Thistle Initiatives Group, said: “We have been looking to expand into the training and competence sector and we were delighted to find such an expert specialist team at Searchlight. We have been truly impressed with the team at Searchlight led by Ian and Diane and we look forward to a great future together.

"This acquisition by Thistle will take the combined number of consultants to over 100 in just over a five-year period and we will continue to grow and expand through additional acquisitions over the next 12 months.”