OK Welcome to 2026 and all the challenges ahead. Brace yourselves, it’s going to be a rocky ride. In the meantime here are some appointments updates we didn’t have time to round-up in late December what with the festive skiving `n’ jiving etc.
HDI GLOBAL
Corporate & Specialty insurer HDI Global UK & Ireland (HDI) has announced the appointment of Michael Reynolds as Motor Fleet Underwriting Director, with effect from 1 February 2026.
Reynolds joined HDI in 2015 and has held a variety of roles across underwriting and claims and is currently the firm’s Motor Fleet Underwriting Manager. In his new role, he will lead HDI Global’s UK & Ireland motor fleet underwriting strategy and continue to shape the proposition as a partner in transformation, driving profitable growth and innovation through the strategic use of telematics and proactive risk management.
Reynolds will initially report to Stephanie Ogden, Chief Executive Officer and interim Chief Underwriting Officer – Long Tail lines for HDI UK & Ireland. Reynolds will succeed Phil Healy, who retires on 31 March 2026, with both working closely to ensure a seamless handover of responsibilities.
CII
This January Callum Beaton FCII, begins his term as President of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), the largest international professional membership body for insurance and financial planning professionals. Callum takes over the role from Nicola Stacey ACII. Debbie Mitchell DipPFS will serve as Deputy President for 2026.
Callum’s insurance career began in broking in 1977, followed by a spell in underwriting at Lloyd’s. He subsequently spent almost twenty years in the captive insurance sector, becoming chief executive of a captive management company and deputy chief executive of its parent group. In 2004, Callum stepped aside from corporate activity and has since practised as an insurance consultant with a critical focus on captive and cell captive techniques.
Debbie Mitchell is a director of Aberdeen based financial planning firm, Atholl Scott Financial Services, where she has enjoyed a 32-year career. Debbie previously worked with Bowring Financial Services, part of the Marsh group, and had five years with Scottish Amicable. She is a past Chair of the North Scotland Region Personal Finance Society and a former Engagement Member of the CII Board. Debbie was previously a Director of the PFS Board, and will continue to be an Observer at PFS Board meetings.
GALLAGHER
Gallagher recently announced the UK appointment of specialist corporate M&A tax advisor Tom Hughes as Director of Tax Insurance to its fast-growing EMEA-wide Private Equity and M&A (PEMA) practice. Tom will join Gallagher on 5 January 2026 in the UK, building on recent tax specialist hires across Europe as Gallagher deepens its investment in specialist risk expertise to further expand its range of client-focused solutions for businesses engaged in acquisitions, mergers and other transactional corporate activities.
Tom joins from EY where he has spent the past five years as part of its Corporate M&A tax team, most recently as a Senior Manager in the International Tax & Transaction Services team specialising in M&A. A chartered accountant by profession and specialist tax advisor for the last 10 years, Tom will report to Giles Hambly, Head of Tax Insurance in the UK. He brings a comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end deal process related to due diligence, acquisitions and disposals, and tax structuring, combined with extensive experience in the provision of tax advisory services to private equity-backed portfolios, mid-market and fast-growth groups, and multinational corporates.
BMS
Mosaic Insurance has hired financial institutions leader Ann Nozica to support the company’s expansion of finpro lines in the Americas.
Based in Chicago, IL, Nozica will take up the new role of Head of Americas, Financial Institutions—joining Sachin Warty, who was named Global Head of Financial Institutions & Professional Liability (FinPro) at Mosaic earlier this month. Nozica’s appointment is effective in January.
“Ann brings an outstanding reputation in the market, earned through years of trusted leadership and strong client relationships,” said Warty. “She has a rare ability to develop talent and bring teams together, which will be invaluable as we continue to build Mosaic’s financial institutions platform across the Americas. We’re thrilled to welcome Ann to Mosaic.”
Nozica will lead underwriting strategy and portfolio management at Mosaic, building out a North American team to support the risk-transfer needs of financial institutions. A seasoned insurance executive with 18 years of experience in the sector, she specializes in underwriting complex and bespoke risks for financial institutions. She previously managed the US Central and West regions financial institutions underwriting team at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), after developing broking expertise as a client advisor at Marsh in London, UK. She also worked at Starr’s Lloyd’s syndicate and CNA Insurance, in finance and underwriting roles.
XPT SPECIALTY
XPT Specialty, a leading wholesale broker for commercial and personal insurance, today announced that Joseph Corrado has joined the company as a Personal Lines Insurance Broker. Corrado brings extensive experience in portfolio oversight, strong agency partnerships, and a disciplined yet service‑oriented underwriting approach, with deep knowledge of the Northeastern U.S. insurance landscape.
Before joining XPT Specialty, Corrado served as a Personal Lines Underwriter at Morstan General Agency. In his new role with XPT, Corrado will work closely with retail agents along the East Coast to place a wide range of personal lines risks, including homeowners, personal liability, and specialty coverages. Known for his dependability, attention to detail, and relentless work ethic, Corrado has built a reputation as a trusted partner who helps agents navigate complex risks – particularly in challenging or nuanced placements – and align them with the right markets.
PREVISICO
Previsico, the world leading flood forecasting and real-time flood risk intelligence platform provider, recently announced the appointment of Mark Pinkerton as Chief Technical Officer (CTO).
In his new role, Mark will oversee Previsico’s global technology strategy, product development, and engineering operations, playing a pivotal role as the company scales its forecasting capabilities, expands into new markets, and continues to innovate to meet rising flood risk challenges worldwide.
Mark joins Previsico from Risilience, a sustainability intelligence platform incubated at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Risk Studies, where he currently serves as Senior Vice President of Software Engineering. In this role, he managed software development teams and oversaw the technical development and management of the Risilience analytics platform.
AVANTIA
Avantia Group, the parent company behind award-winning home insurance brand Homeprotect, has strengthened its team by appointing Dan Hirlea as Head of AI. This pivotal new role complements the addition of Saurabh Johri as AI Advisor earlier in 2025, and will support Avantia’s future hiring plans in the AI space and the business’ ambition to become the UK’s first fully AI-driven insurer.
Dan brings extensive experience in developing and delivering AI-powered applications across the financial and insurance sectors. Previously, he was Data Science Manager at Lloyd’s of London specialty insurer AEGIS, where he used AI to improve business processes, using AI agents for semi-supervised claims classification to inform actuarial frequency and severity risk modelling.
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