Howden Insurance Brokers Australia has appointed Catherine Osborne (pictured) as its head of technical & claims, the broker said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday.
Howden said Osborne brings deep experience across insurance law, claims leadership and governance. It said her expertise and commitment to client service strengthen its ability to support clients when it matters most.
Osborne said she is passionate about helping clients before and after a loss or claim. She said she looks forward to partnering with Howden’s clients to share her technical expertise, and described the firm as an “energetic, dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation which prioritises people, clients and relationships.”
Osborne most recently held the role of chief claims officer for Marsh Pacific.
Industry colleagues congratulated her in the comments, including David Lee, a partner at Clyde & Co Australia, and Angus Kench, head of commercial claims at Munich Re Specialty Global Markets. Kench called it a great appointment.
Marsh announced Osborne’s appointment to the newly created role of chief claims officer, Pacific, in December 2021. Previously, she joined law firm Polczynski Robinson with vast experience as a lawyer and company director.
Marsh’s profile says she spent 20 years as a law firm partner before joining the broker. In that time she acted for finance and insurance clients on professional indemnity, directors’ and officers’ litigation, cyber risk, privacy, liability, construction claims and class actions. It says she worked on matters involving ASIC, APRA, the ATO and the ACCC, and has experience with royal commissions including HIH and financial services. She also served nine years as a non-executive director of Zurich Australian Superannuation, according to the profile.
Claims handling showed the biggest gain in Insurance Business Australia’s Top Insurance Brokers report for 2025. The report attributed the improvement to industry investment in claims advocacy and technology. It said clients increasingly see brokers as essential allies during stressful claim events.
Howden launched in Australia as a broker in March 2021. It named Matt Bacon CEO that June, alongside Stuart McKellar as head of commercial and affinity and Nick Chubb as head of financial lines. All three came from Marsh.
Howden said at the time that the Australian business would focus on specialist segments including financial lines, corporate risks, commercial and affinity, workers’ compensation, group risk and alternative risk transfer. Group CEO David Howden said Australia had been a key strategic market since the group launched DUAL in 2004.
