This week’s appointments include new leaders for Ardonagh’s combined MGA business, a planned succession at Gallagher, a new sports and entertainment team at AXA XL, regional underwriting hires at Arch, and a new corporate affairs role at The Fidelis Partnership.
Ardonagh has appointed Kat Cross as chief financial officer and Louise Doyle as chief operating officer of Orvia Underwriting, subject to regulatory approval. Ardonagh recently said it would bring its MGA businesses, which write more than $3 billion of gross written premium globally, under the Orvia brand.
Cross joins from Acrisure and has more than 20 years in senior insurance roles. Doyle has 23 years’ experience, including at Direct Line, Modus, Innovisk Capital Partners and Canopius. Both report to Orvia chief executive Mark McIlquham and will oversee bringing Ardonagh’s European, UK and specialty MGAs together, followed by its wider underwriting portfolio during 2027.
“Combining our specialist underwriting expertise with Ardonagh’s global network, data and insurer partnerships gives us the opportunity to develop new products and bring existing propositions to more brokers and clients,” said McIlquham.
Brokers trading with Ardonagh’s MGAs should expect changes to branding, systems and operating processes during 2027. The question will be whether combining the businesses brings faster products and service, or disrupts the specialist relationships brokers value.
Gallagher has appointed James Whittingham (pictured, left) as chief operating officer for UK and Ireland from April, subject to regulatory approval. He succeeds Charles Crawford, who joined in 2016 and retires at the end of 2027. The two will work together until then.
Whittingham has been chief financial officer of Gallagher’s UK and Ireland retail division since joining in 2019, and previously worked at Equiniti, RSA and RBS. He will report to Michael Rea, chief executive for UK and Ireland, who said Whittingham understood the commercial and operational priorities behind the business.
A long, planned handover should mean continuity for brokers and insurers working with Gallagher’s UK operations.
AXA XL has appointed Matt Helm as head of sports, media and entertainment for UK and Lloyd’s, starting in the first half of 2027. Helm joins from Aon, where he was head of contingency and events, and previously spent eight years at CFC and more than 20 at PIMS-SCA.
Stephanie Barry becomes underwriting manager for contingency, media and entertainment, and Martin Reames becomes underwriting manager for sport and leisure. Both are internal moves.
Louise Nevill, chief underwriting officer for specialty, UK and Lloyd’s, said risks in the sector vary hugely from one project to the next.
A rebuilt specialist team gives brokers placing event, production and sports risks a strengthened lead market, with an underwriting head who has seen the business from the broking side.
Arch’s UK regional division has appointed Abigail Dent-Jones (pictured, center) and Chelsea Sparey (pictured, right) as senior property and casualty underwriters. Dent-Jones joins the Colchester team, covering East Anglia, from Victor Insurance. Sparey joins the Bristol team, covering the West, South West and Wales, from DUAL.
More underwriters in regional branches mean closer access to decision-makers for regional brokers, as carriers compete for SME and mid-market property and liability business in a soft market.
The Fidelis Partnership has appointed Rebecca Matts to the new role of head of corporate affairs. She joins its executive committee, reporting to group chief financial officer Conor O’Riordan. She has previously held senior communications roles at Hines, Nomura, BlackRock and HSBC.
The direct broker impact is limited. The role reflects Fidelis’s focus on its external profile as it grows into a more global business.
Law firm DAC Beachcroft has hired Toby Savage and Will Jones as partners in its global marine and energy insurance practice. Both join from RPC’s international risks team.
Savage has more than 20 years’ experience in insurance and reinsurance law, focused on large energy, property, construction and marine claims, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. Jones specialises in large coverage disputes in energy, marine, transport and property, and has worked in Singapore.
Simon Jackson, head of marine, aviation, energy, shipping and transportation at DAC Beachcroft, said the firm aimed to be the leading marine and energy insurance team in the market.
With conflict in the Gulf and Ukraine driving complex marine, energy and war risk claims, specialist coverage lawyers are in demand. Brokers handling large disputed claims gain more choice of specialist counsel.
