Hiscox Group hires Barclays technology chief

Specialist global insurer Hiscox has recruited seasoned IT professional Ian Penny, the current chief technology officer of British banking giant Barclays.

 

Penny has been appointed as chief information officer for the Hiscox Group. Reporting to CEO Bronek Masojada, he will be responsible for the company’s IT, leading a team of 300.

 

Penny remarked that he joins Hiscox at a time when there is “significant investment to support the business evolution.”

 

“Technology will be a core partner in the execution of the strategy, whether that be digital customer journeys or data analytics, and I look forward to getting started,” he said.

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Penny has led cloud computing initiatives at Barclays for three years. Previously, he was global head of distributed engineering and architecture at JPMorgan.

 

Hiscox Group CEO Bronek Masojada says Penny’s “diverse experience” will be “invaluable” as he brings expertise in leading all aspects of IT including strategy, development, engineering, operations and programme execution.

 

“Ian’s appointment is an important step in our evolution,” Masojada said. “We continue to invest heavily in our rapidly-growing retail businesses, and Ian will be critical to a number of significant multi-year business and IT transformation projects which will power our future growth.”

Penny replaces interim CIO Gareth Wharton who is joining a new Hiscox cyber initiative.


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