Insurance company boss Peter Gallagher has retired after an amazing globetrotting career .

The Tower Insurance boss had enjoyed a long association with the RSA Group.

After 15,932 days Mr Gallagher decided to call time on a highly successful career that has taken him and his family across the world.

He worked for RSA for almost 44 years and started his career as a professional trainee with the Sun Alliance Group in Dublin on Monday, September 16, 1974.

After a few years he was promoted to the position of inspector, what is now called a business development manager, covering the counties of Sligo and Donegal in the east coast of Ireland.

In 1983 Mr Gallagher accepted a job in Saudi Arabia as an account executive working in the capital Riyadh.

He was later promoted to branch manager of the company’s operation in Jeddah.

By 1990 Mr Gallagher and family were on their travels again to Kuala Lumpar in Malaysia, working as the deputy general manager.

His goal was to develop business with brokers. At the time most of the company’s business came from tied agents.

By the time he left in 1997 business had trebled and 70% was through brokers.

Next stop for Mr Gallagher was Kingston, Jamaica where he was general manager from 1997 to 1999 and then in 1999 he moved to manage the RSA business in Northern Ireland.

The lure of warmer climates came again and it was in 2004 when Peter was asked to become chief executive of a small but very profitable part of the RSA Group in Curacao which is part of the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean just off the coast of Venezuela.

This would only last a few years and in 2007 Mr Gallagher became managing director of ICCI in the Channel Islands before moving to the Isle of Man in September 2009 to take over from David Stacey as managing director of Tower Insurance.

A spokesman said that under Mr Gallagher’s leadership the Tower business has continued to grow and delivered results for the RSA Group, while continuing to deliver first class products and services to the Isle of Man market.

Mr Gallagher said: ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the group and have had a very varied and exciting career, which has taken me to some interesting places.

‘Of course I will miss the people, the staff at Tower have been a joy to work with and I know they will continue to deliver the first class service they always have for my successor.’

This year is Tower’s 90th year in business.

Lee Mooney, CRS director for RSA said: ‘Peter’s contribution to the RSA Group has been outstanding.

‘His leadership and management skills have been invaluable and he has engaged staff in many offices with his warmth and inclusive nature, leading to some fantastic results.

‘I would like to thank Peter on behalf of the group, but also thank him on a personal level as being one of the nicest gentlemen I have met and proud to call him a friend.’

As one chapter closes, another one opens for Tower Insurance.

From this month Emmet McQuillan has taken over as the new managing director of Tower Insurance.

Emmet, like Peter has worked for the group his entire career and has an extensive knowledge of the local and national insurance market and was the underwriting manager with Tower before taking over in the hot seat.

As a chartered insurer and past president of the Insurance Institute of the Isle of Man, Emmet said: ‘I am honoured to be taking over at Tower Insurance as the new managing director.

‘I have some big shoes to fill.

‘I am confident that Tower can continue to be the insurer of choice on the island and look to develop our offering over the coming years, taking full advantage of technology, our excellent broker network here on the island and our group relationship with parent company RSA.’ Tower is at Jubilee Buildings, Victoria Street, Douglas.