SALE-based Principal Insurance has appointed Damian Keeling as its new chairman.

He brings extensive experience to the role. As managing director of Carole Nash between 1996 and 2005 he steered the Altrincham broker through a period of massive growth before departing and acquiring Cumbria-based performance car insurance specialist Peart Insurance Brokers.

In 2008 he sold Peart to Central Insurance and joined Perspective Financial Group in Wilmslow where he spent six years as managing director, building the company up to become one of the UK’s top 15 financial advisory groups. In 2009 he also became a non-executive director of fast-growing Darwen headquartered private medical insurance intermediary Chase Templeton.

He is also a director and part-owner of Servian Services, a Bury-based medico-legal business.

Commenting on his new role Damian said: “Principal Insurance is a dynamic and exciting business which has enormous potential for growth having already created quite a mark on the specialist markets in which it operates.

“The business has reached a critical mass which means it requires both additional expertise and financial resource to maintain impressive momentum which has seen premium income rise three fold in just three years."