Hiscox names new COO for UK and Ireland

New man will be based in London after earning significant promotion

Insurance News

By Paul Lucas

There is a new chief operating officer for the UK and Ireland at specialist global insurer Hiscox.

The company has announced the promotion of Juan de Castro, who had previously worked as the group’s head of strategy and corporate development. De Castro will report to the company’s CEO Steve Langan who believes he has found the right man for the job, especially as the new COO previously spent four years working as a management consultant for McKinsey in its Silicon Valley office.

“Juan’s background in strategy and tech will add huge value to Hiscox UK and Ireland,” said Langan. “We see exciting opportunities for profitable growth across our broker and direct channels and Juan will have a big part to play in both as we continue our focus on product innovation, building great teams and investing in our powerful brand.”

De Castro boasts an MSc in computer engineering and an MBA from Stanford GSB, and also worked for 10 years in the high tech industry across Europe. He is expected to travel across the company’s regional offices on a regular basis.

“Our UK business is in the middle of the largest transformation Hiscox has ever done, as we focus on next-generation underwriting and evolving our digital capabilities with brokers and customers in mind,” commented De Castro. “These changes will enable us to be even more customer obsessed, delivering the service we are known for at the same time as boosting operational efficiency. I’m delighted to join such a great team.”

Related Stories:
Hiscox appoints underwriting chief for Europe
Hiscox sees premiums grow despite rate pressure

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