Hughes (pictured above) will take up the role in February 2026, subject to regulatory approval. He will report to Serge Raffard, managing director of Allianz Personal Lines.
The appointment comes as Allianz describes its broker distribution channel as a core element of its multi-product, multi-channel strategy in the UK market. Brokers remain a central part of Allianz's personal lines growth plans, particularly in motor, home and travel insurance.
Hughes joins from Ageas, where he is currently director of personal lines underwriting and pricing. During his tenure, he oversaw the profitable expansion of the personal lines portfolio and led a team covering motor, home, travel and special risks. He also worked closely with brokers and distribution partners to strengthen Ageas’s presence in the competitive personal lines market.
He began his career at Groupama in 2005, working in the personal lines pricing team before becoming head of personal lines pricing & planning. He moved to Ageas in 2013, initially in motor underwriting, and went on to lead motor pricing and underwriting support before stepping into senior leadership.
Until Hughes formally takes up his new position, Graham Wright will continue to lead Allianz’s personal broker team on an interim basis. Wright took the reins from Nicola George, who announced that she is stepping down in October to pursue a new opportunity.
Allianz’s move comes at a time of heightened competition among insurers in the personal lines broker space. Aviva has been expanding its broker relationships through its digital trading platform and regional broker development teams, while RSA has been investing in underwriting expertise to strengthen service for intermediaries. Ageas, Hughes’s current employer, has also focused on profitability and distribution partnerships, particularly in motor, amid ongoing market pricing pressures.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s reforms on fair value and the wider impact of inflation on claims costs are reshaping personal lines. Insurers are competing not just on price but on service, underwriting agility, and the ability to support brokers with digital and data-driven solutions. Allianz said Hughes’s experience across underwriting, pricing, and distribution will support its ambition to grow its broker-facing business profitably while deepening relationships with intermediaries.
Hughes described Allianz as a company with ambitious growth plans and said he looks forward to leading its broker-facing personal lines business.
