Job Moves and Senior Appointments 17.02.2025 -

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It’s time once more for the weekly job moves round-up, so let’s get started;

APOLLO

Apollo, the innovative integrated insurance group, today announces the appointment of Ciara Sheikh as Interim Executive Underwriter, Cargo. In addition to her Hull Underwriter role, Ciara will be responsible for leading Apollo’s Cargo team, working with Richard Panter.

Ciara has been with Apollo since 2022 as a Marine Hull underwriter. Prior to Apollo, Ciara spent five years at MS Amlin, where she held various Marine roles including building a profitable book of regional Hull, Yacht, Marine Liabilities, Fixed Premium P&I, Cargo, and Specie business. Ciara will be supported by Ralph Adams-Hale from Apollo’s Smart Follow team.

James Slaughter, Group Chief Underwriting Officer, said: “Ciara has contributed significantly to Apollo since joining and we are delighted to nurture internal talent as we continue to grow as a business.”

THATCHAM RESEARCH

Nick Caplan joins the Thatcham Research Board following an extensive search and brings a wealth of experience spanning financial services, insurance, data and technology.

Commenting on the appointment, Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research, said, “Having appointed two Independent Non-Executive Directors in 2021, we have seen the value of cognitive diversity around our Board table. As Thatcham Research continues to evolve its strategy through the delivery of new research, assessment and data driven propositions such as the new Vehicle Risk Rating model, replacing Group Rating, its vital that we have somebody of Nick’s calibre and experience to encourage debate and challenge.”

RADIUS

Radius Insurance Solutions, part of the wider Radius Group, is delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Thorn as its new Managing Director. Phil joins the business at a exciting time, bringing with him over 20 years of industry experience from his leadership roles at Aon and Hiscox. His expertise will be influential in shaping the next phase of growth for the company, already a leading independent insurance broker.

Commenting on his new role, Phil Thorn said: “I am thrilled to join Radius and lead the insurance business at such an exciting time. We have a huge opportunity to combine insurance with telematics and other unique solutions that we currently offer, to drive significant growth in the SME and commercial motor markets.”

TRANSFER TRAVEL

Transfer Travel, a leading travel resale platform, has appointed Carl Carter, CEO of CSC Global Partners, as its new Strategic Advisor. This move comes as Transfer Travel is expanding its team to meet rising demand. More insurance companies are actively seeking solutions to resell cancelled bookings, rather than accepting total losses on claims.

With travel disruptions on the rise and consumer demand for flexibility at an all-time high, the travel insurance industry faces mounting pressure to modernise and reduce claims costs. Unlike motor insurance, where companies can recover costs by selling salvaged parts from written-off vehicles, travel insurers traditionally have no way to ‘salvage’ losses when holidays are cancelled. They simply pay out the claim and absorb the entire cost.

ALLIANZ COMMERCIAL

Allianz Commercial has announced that Aymeric Martin, currently Chief Financial Officer of Allianz Ireland, will join the Board of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (‘AGCS SE’ as the legal entity of Allianz with Board responsibility for Allianz Commercial) as Chief Risk and Resilience Officer (CRRO), with effect from April 1, 2025, subject to regulatory approval. In this newly created role, Mr. Martin will take responsibility for Risk Management, Compliance, Underwriting Integrity & Solutions, and Global Capital Management.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Martin worked for over 10 years at Allianz in Paris and Munich in a range of finance and strategy leadership positions. He qualified as an attorney in France, and earned a master’s degree in European Law from Université Côte d’Azur (Nice), a master’s degree in accounting from Université d’Angers (Angers) and a master’s degree in finance and business administration from Management School ESSCA (Angers).

HOWDEN

Howden, the global insurance group, has welcomed two new appointments, Hannah Joyce (BELOW) and David Bennett, to its Wales offices. Hannah joins Howden from Thomas Carroll, having previously worked at Davies Craddock and NFU Mutual. As account executive she will specialise in building and maintaining long-lasting relationships with commercial clients to contribute to the growth of Howden’s south Wales branch.

On her appointment, Hannah said: “I’m thoroughly enjoying my time at Howden. I was drawn to the company due to the fast-paced, challenging and exciting environment that is interrupting the existing broker network in south Wales.

“I am confident that with the reach of Howden and my desire to build long-standing relationships with clients, I will be able to provide great value risk advice and insurance protection.”

David joins the team following his role as commercial director at Cornerstone Commercial Insurance. Previously in a senior management and operations role, he will be moving back to a client-facing sales and advisory position, bringing his expertise in sectors such as leisure, property owners and manufacturing.

On his appointment, David said: “I am delighted to have joined the sales and risk management team at such a renowned company. Howden has really raised its profile in recent years and the expansion into South Wales means we have a very exciting future ahead.”

LMG

The London Market Group has added David Kirk, Division President, Chubb Global Markets, to its board as a representative of the International Underwriting Association (IUA). Kirk replaces David Furby, Senior Vice President Chubb Group and Regional President, Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 2024, Kirk was appointed Division President of Chubb Global Markets, bringing close to 20 years of industry experience that encompasses various positions within Chubb’s Marine operations, most recently serving as Deputy Chief Underwriting Officer and Head of Marine.

Sean McGovern, CEO of AXA XL UK and Chair of the London Market Group, said: “I would like to welcome David Kirk, who has deep expertise in one of the heartland classes of business in the London Market and I would also like to extend the sincere thanks of the board to David Furby for his time and contributions as a member of the board.”

PRICE FORBES TURKEY

Price Forbes has announced the appointment of Ercan Eryaşar as Chief Sales Officer of Price Forbes Türkiye.

Eryaşar brings 29 years of industry experience and deep expertise in wholesale and reinsurance broking to this newly created role. His career includes leadership roles at Mapfre Sigorta Türkiye, where he spent 25 years pioneering engineering insurance and serving as Deputy General Manager, overseeing non-auto underwriting, claims, and corporate marketing.

In 2020, he transitioned to Howden Türkiye, where he served as COO for two years and CEO for two and a half years. He is also a certified loss adjuster in engineering and property fields.

IFARM

Rokstone’s UK farm and agriculture specialist, iFarm Underwriting, has announced two significant new additions to its market leading specialist agricultural and rural underwriting team.

Gary Lennie has been appointed Underwriter in the iFarm team, bringing its total to 10 specialist agricultural underwriters. He joins from Hiscox and brings with him 14 years’ commercial underwriting expertise, impressive sector knowledge, and sound decision making experience, including previous roles at BQI Insurance, Towergate and Aviva.

iFarm is also delighted to welcome back Shane Mustill. He rejoins the team as Head of Distribution following a short stint at Geo Agriculture, where he held the position of Regional Development Manager. Shane has more than 13 years’ experience in the sector across both underwriting and business development roles. His remit is to deliver a market beating experience for brokers and their clients, ensuring that the livelihoods of farmers and agribusinesses are protected at a time of increased uncertainty.

BMS

BMS, the independent insurance and reinsurance broker, announces the appointment of Genna Biddell as managing director and head of London P&C Re.

Biddell will report into Brad Melvin, president and CEO, BMS Re US. She will develop and oversee the London P&C reinsurance business while closely collaborating with the reinsurance and programmes teams across the US, London, and Bermuda. Additionally, her responsibilities will encompass strategic projects that leverage growth opportunities across divisions.

Biddell joins BMS from Howden Re, where she was managing director of the North America wholesale property treaty team. With a career spanning 25 years, she has previously held North American property treaty roles at both Willis Re and Aon Re.

AVID INSURANCE

Avid Insurance has appointed Kristian Bartlett head of sales and distribution. Bartlett, who was previously at Arch, reports to Avid CEO Steve Gibson.

The UK-wide role is a new position for the MGA and Bartlett will be responsible for growing Avid’s distribution footprint, especially in its construction business IIGL, outside its heartland in London and the South East.

Last year, Avid hired business development underwriters in Birmingham and Leeds. Bartlett has been charged with designing and implementing a strategy to grow the business in the regions, drive visibility for IIGL and Avid in the broking market and develop more cross-selling opportunities among existing and new trading partners.

PIB

PIB Insurance Brokers is making a significant investment in Leeds with the appointment of James Tosh as its new Branch Director. James joins from Aon and brings extensive industry expertise to drive growth in the region. His appointment marks a key milestone in PIB’s strategy to expand its regional footprint, strengthen client relationships, and build a high-performing team in Leeds.

H&H BROKERS

Victoria Twentyman has been promoted to Claims Team Leader at Carlisle-based H&H Insurance Brokers (HHIB), where she now leads the firm’s in-house claims department.

Her promotion marks a significant milestone, coming less than a month after she successfully completed her apprenticeship with HHIB, which operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales.

Victoria will work alongside Stuart Torrance who has moved from Claims Manager to the newly created role of Quality Assurance Manager, and be supported by Operations Director Kally Shane in her new role.

PREVISICO

Previsico, the actionable flood warning Insurtech, announces the promotion of Colin Ross to Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his new role, Colin will oversee technical operations, driving project management frameworks, and ensure efficient delivery of the company’s advanced IoT systems in the UK and US markets.

Colin, who has been with Previsico for over 4.5 years, brings a wealth of experience in project management and operations. Prior to his time at Previsico, Colin was a Senior Project Manager at Barratt Developments, so he understands the operational risks and challenges faced by major corporations.

His also worked at Hive for eight years, and his expertise spans managing project management functions, optimising business processes, and ensuring the smooth operation of technical systems.

MARSH

Marsh, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor and a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), has announced the appointment of Nigel Hinshelwood as Chair of Marsh Limited in the UK. Subject to regulatory approval, Mr. Hinshelwood will succeed Tom Colraine on 31 March 2025.

Mr. Hinshelwood brings extensive experience to the role having served as a non-executive director in the financial services and insurance sector. He has served as a non-executive director of Lloyd’s Franchise Board, Chair of AXA XL Underwriting Agencies Limited and AXA XL Insurance Company UK Limited, and a non-executive director of Nordea. He currently holds several external appointments, including senior independent director at Lloyds Bank, International Advisory Council Member of Adobe Systems Software, and Advisory Council Member of International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers.

OPTIO

Optio Group, a leading specialty MGA, announces the appointment of chief underwriting officer Gary Head, effective immediately.

Head joins from AXA where he led its Schemes & Delegated Authority, Financial Lines and Specialty teams, having joined the company in early 2020. Prior to this he spent 22 years at Hiscox in a variety of senior roles, including six years as CUO of Hiscox UK and three years as CUO of Hiscox USA. This appointment concludes a series of senior hires at Optio, following the arrival of Insi Davenport as group chief risk officer, Marc Van der Veer as MD, Europe, and Joanna Eilts as head of legal in late 2024.

ALTA SIGMA

European boutique Managing General Agent (MGA), Alta Signa Europe B.V. (“Alta Signa”), is pleased to announce the appointment of seasoned Cyber Underwriter Audrey Louche to its Cyber Division, further strengthening its capabilities in a market where cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace.

Based in France, Audrey brings extensive expertise in underwriting cyber risks, most recently at Cogitanda, Assurup and Chubb. With a deep understanding of the complex cyber risk landscape – particularly the challenges faced by French SMEs to large-cap companies in navigating an increasingly stringent regulatory environment – she will play a pivotal role in shaping Alta Signa’s close to source Cyber underwriting offering to meet the fast-changing demands of the sector.

Nicola Mellor, Qualifications and Assessment Director of the Chartered Insurance Insitute (CII) Group has been appointed to the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) Board. FAB represents the UK’s qualifications and assessments industry, with members committed to providing high-quality qualifications and assessments that recognise achievement, improve productivity, support social mobility and change lives.

Alongside Nicola, Alison Parkes of EAL Awards, Kelle McQuade of Training Qualifications UK, Steve Smith of SIAS UK, and Terry Fennell of FDQ were also appointed to the Board. The FAB Board elections, conducted independently by UK Engage, ensure the Federation’s governance remains transparent, impartial, and reflective of its diverse membership base.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Industry Insights is delighted to welcome Alan Cottrill to the motor claims business consultancy team. Alan Cottrill is an experienced, results-driven digital claims, tech and automotive industry specialist with a proven track record in roles including Audatex, Sikkens and Trak Global – all market-leading, global brands.

Alan is an accomplished businessman renowned for his ability to drive success primarily through sales. His sharp eye for detail and success-driven attitude makes him a valuable asset to any team.