Aon has broadened the responsibilities of Vlad Bobko (pictured), adding the newly created role of global head of strategy for political risk, war risk and crisis management within its Risk Capital division to his existing post as CEO of Central and Eastern Europe and Nordics, effective immediately.
The move comes as demand for political and war risk cover builds steadily amid mounting geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruption and security threats.
Bobko will keep his regional reporting line to Kai-Frank Buechter, Co-CEO of EMEA, while reporting to Joe Peiser, CEO of Risk Capital, for the new global mandate.
Aon said the appointment is designed to strengthen its ability to deliver integrated Risk Capital solutions to clients operating across international markets.
Bobko joined Aon in 2004 as country manager for Ukraine. From 2010 he held regional leadership roles across Central and Eastern Europe, first as chief broking officer and later as CEO. His experience spans retail and reinsurance markets, advising large local and multinational organisations on complex and specialty risk solutions.
Buechter said Bobko had played a significant role in developing Aon's business across Central and Eastern Europe over many years.
"He brings deep market expertise, a strong understanding of client needs and a proven ability to lead across diverse markets," he said.
Global political risk insurance premiums were valued at $7.07 billion in 2025 and are projected to reach $7.67 billion in 2026, a compound annual growth rate of 8.6%, driven largely by rising military expenditure and global security concerns, according to The Business Research Company.
Howden's 2025 economic outlook separately found demand for political risk cover had risen by 33% as companies sought to reassure funders and secure operations in sensitive jurisdictions.
The appointment carries particular significance for the London market. Bobko has led Aon's crisis management activities out of the Aon Global Broking Center in London since 2013, alongside its structured credit and political risk teams, and London remains the industry's centre of gravity for this class of business.
Lloyd's has said it intends to keep leading as the world's centre of excellence for war risk insurance, a position underscored earlier this year when Lloyd's and the Lloyd's Market Association engaged with the US International Development Finance Corporation over a proposed political risk insurance and guarantee scheme for Gulf maritime trade.
That engagement followed a sharp escalation in Gulf tensions. War risk premiums for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Persian Gulf rose sharply after strikes in the region in late February 2026, and the London-led Joint War Committee widened its listed high-risk area to its broadest Gulf designation since the committee was founded.
