Meet The Team: Daniel Wood - Founder

With a career spanning nearly three decades at the highest levels of the insurance world, Daniel Wood brings exceptional expertise, precision, and passion to his role as one of Birch’s founding partners. Since beginning his career as a Lloyd’s Underwriter in 1997, Daniel has worked across several major Lloyd’s syndicates, earning a reputation as a leader in the insurance of fine art, jewellery, and classic cars.

A lifelong car enthusiast, collector, and amateur racer, Daniel combines professional insight with genuine automotive passion. In 2011, he co-founded one of London’s foremost Ultra High Net Worth insurance brokerages, which he continues to lead as Managing Director — a business built on trust, discretion, and deep technical knowledge.

In 2024, Daniel helped establish Birch, envisioning a facility where exceptional vehicles could be cared for with the same diligence and respect afforded to the world’s most valuable artworks. Today, his leadership and experience remain central to Birch’s philosophy: delivering excellence through expert stewardship, absolute integrity, and a passion for perfection.

What first drew you to the concept of Birch, and what do you enjoy most about being part of the team?

The Birch concept is a result of my frustrations as both an insurer of high value cars, and a collector. As part of my job, I had visited many of the world's car storage businesses, and what struck me was just how differently high value cars were treated versus artworks. Fine art storage is discrete, highly secure, fire controlled and more like a bank vault. Car storage is usually in agricultural buildings which have very little in the way of security and fire protection is pretty much non-existent. I believe the Birch method addresses these issues.

Describe your role at Birch

I am one of the Founding team, I sit on the Board and I oversee the operation on an advisory basis.

Birch is known for precision and care. How do you personally define attention to detail?

Going the extra mile and anticipating future needs and changes. We are extremely fortunate to have Lee and Zaak on the team - they are both detail focused, and maintain the Birch environment to the highest standard of cleanliness which of course extends to the way in which the assets are cherished.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone looking to store a vehicle long-term?

If you truly care about the asset, focus on the quality of storage rather than the headline cost. Time and time again we meet people who have stored their vehicles badly, and there is always a cost associated with that. Whilst we are not the cheapest, we are by no means the most expensive option. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Outside of work, what fuels your passion — motorsport, restoration, travel, or something unexpected?

For me, it's all about motor racing. I enjoy watching all forms of racing, F1 of course but also Indycar, NASCAR and of course supporting Tom in BTCC. I have competed at a very amateur level for the last 20 years, mostly in historic racing. I started with a JWF Italia, a rare Australian special based on a Healey 100/4. When we first discovered the car in a barn it was running on aviation fuel! I still have the car and I'm hoping to be out in it next year. I also compete in the Alfa Romeo Intermarque series in a 164 and have other competition cars which I need to recommission.

How does your Insurance background influence the way you and the team work?

Insurance is a highly regulated environment with good reason. Anyone in the insurance business has to act with the utmost integrity and the customer is at the heart of all that we do. Birch is the same - we employ only the best people who will look after Birch clients in the same way. There is a direct correlation. I would also mention that in my insurance role, we look after some of the highest profile art and car collectors in the world - confidentiality is therefore paramount. The same applies to Birch - the vault is not a public space, and we never discuss our clients.

What’s the most rewarding part of seeing a client’s car arrive — or leave — Birch’s facility?

I think the entire client journey is rewarding. Since the beginning, we have been fortunate to meet some wonderful clients, and we continue to do so as the business grows. We have lots of private clients of course, but we also have a corporate client base which is perhaps different to many of our competitors. Either way, we are fortunate to meet absolute enthusiasts on a daily basis, and we are very happy talking cars over a coffee or two in our client lounge. A shared passion is a wonderful thing and a great leveller no matter what your walk of life.

Choose ten cars that you'd like in your personal collection stored at Birch

That's a tough question to answer as I do really enjoy most cars, but I think the Lamborghini Miura P400 SV is the most beautiful car ever made, so that would be top of the list. I would also like a Ferrari 250 SWB (with competition history of course) and a Jaguar D Type (ditto competition history). Iconic rally cars would also be on the list, a Lancia Delta Integrale and an S4 would make the list along with a Peugeot T16. A Ford RS200 would be nice too! I do love an Alfa so a Montreal would make the list along with an SZ - the looks and interior are still fantastic, to my eyes at least! The list would be topped off with a car I've been lusting after for a while - a 1965 Corvette C2 racing car - incredible V8, looks fantastic and is eligible for all of the best events. I genuinely cannot think of a cooler car to either race, or pick my son up from school in!

Which of these cars would you like to take out to enjoy a winter weekend?

All of the above but I'm worried about salt on the road! Frankly I would wait until Spring!

Finally, describe Birch in three words — and tell us why you chose them.

Pioneering - I would venture that we have changed the way automotive assets are stored, and we are determined to raise the standards across the industry. The pace of change has, up until now been slow in this sector, Birch is redefining the standards of care that you should expect as a collector or corporate client.

Trustworthy - we are passionate about the assets under our care, custody and control and treat them as if they were our own. Our laser focus on security, fire-protection and discretion ensures that whatever you store with us, is returned to you in exactly the condition as when it was entrusted to us - unless of course you have asked us to organise any works which are glad to do!

Partner - we want to work with you, so whatever the client requests, we want to find a way to accommodate. Our clients are time poor, so we will work as the asset manager to ensure the cars are ready when you need them, any work is carried out if you need it, and we can ship the car to wherever, and whenever you need. Leave it to us.