Four organisations across the London and European insurance markets have announced leadership and strategic developments this week, reflecting continued investment in delegated authority, specialist risk engineering and broker network expansion.
Bspoke Group has consolidated its commercial and underwriting leadership under a newly created role, while Liberty Specialty Markets has bolstered its technical risk engineering capacity across energy, power and construction as demand grows for expertise in increasingly complex industrial risks.
Elsewhere, MDS Group has reported continued growth in premiums under management as it expands across Iberia, Latin America and continental Europe through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions, and Verlingue London Markets has brought in a senior broking and underwriting professional to support its growth ambitions in the London Market.
Bspoke Group has appointed Wayne Tonge (pictured, left) as managing director of commercial & delegated authority, subject to regulatory approval.
The newly created role sees Tonge take on expanded responsibilities as managing director of Bspoke Underwriting, in addition to his existing positions as managing director of commercial and managing director of Miramar Underwriting.
The appointment forms part of Bspoke's strategy to further align its underwriting businesses, creating a more joined-up proposition for brokers, partners and capacity providers, while supporting the group's long-term growth ambitions. Tonge will lead the continued development of the commercial and delegated authority businesses, with a focus on delivering a consistent and efficient trading experience, strengthening market relationships and identifying new opportunities across the portfolio.
"I'm excited to take on this expanded role and build on the strong foundations already in place," said Tonge. He said Bspoke Underwriting's specialist expertise across property, home, lifestyle and contents insurance was helping create a proposition that allows brokers to unlock new opportunities in an increasingly challenging market.
Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has announced a series of risk engineering hires across its energy, power and construction teams in the UK and Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Richard Mundy joins as principal risk engineer for energy, based in London, bringing more than 19 years of industry and insurance experience. He will manage an expanding global client portfolio in the energy sector, with a focus on complex upstream, downstream and construction energy risks, reporting to Paddy Lisulo, UK and MENA risk engineering manager.
Taz Chowdhury (pictured, centre) joins as risk engineer for power, also based in London, with close to seven years of engineering experience across the UK, MENA, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Chowdhury will support the power line of business across the UK and MENA, performing risk appraisals and surveys and providing technical input on claims, also reporting to Lisulo.
Sam McLachlan joins as risk engineer for construction, based in Dubai. A chartered civil engineer with more than 12 years of experience spanning infrastructure, energy, transport, nuclear and commercial sectors, McLachlan will provide technical risk engineering support to the MENA construction team, reporting to Sean Pearson, underwriting manager and construction regional product leader.
"We are thrilled to welcome Richard, Taz and Sam to our team," said Lisulo. He said the appointments reflected LSM's commitment to delivering technical risk engineering expertise, and that their insights would be vital in helping clients build resilience as the energy, power and construction sectors navigate increasingly complex risk environments.
Verlingue London Markets has appointed Scott Mills (pictured, right) as it continues to invest in its expertise and growth plans.
Mills brings more than 30 years of experience across Lloyd's and the London Market, spanning wholesale broking, underwriting, operations and business development, along with a number of senior leadership positions.
Mills will support the continued development of Verlingue London Markets' propositions in scheme and delegated authority development, motor trade, property and casualty, and motor fleet, as the business expands its offering to broker partners.
"Scott is exceptionally well known and respected across the London Market," said Barry Reynolds, executive director of Verlingue London Markets. He said Mills's breadth of expertise across broking, underwriting, operations and leadership would be a significant asset to the team and its broker partners as the business continues to grow.
"I am delighted to be joining Verlingue London Markets at an exciting time in its development," said Mills. He said the business had strong momentum and that he looked forward to supporting its continued growth.
Portugal-based broker MDS Group recorded more than €3.3 billion in premiums under management in 2025, alongside consolidated pro forma revenue of approximately €260 million, as the group continued its international growth strategy. In Portugal specifically, combined pro forma revenue across the group's local companies reached €95.9 million.
In Spain, the group maintained its growth momentum following the acquisition of Cobian Insurance Broker, completing several strategic integrations during the year that expanded its distribution capabilities and technical expertise. In Brazil, MDS continued to benefit from its integration of D'Or Consultoria, consolidating its position in the corporate employee benefits segment, while a partnership with Qualicorp further strengthened its distribution offering. In Europe, the integration of SRB Assekuranz Broker AG reinforced the group's presence in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
In Portugal, MDS completed three acquisitions during 2026, of Seguramos, Porto Seguro and Ermelinda Gomes, extending its geographical footprint and specialist capabilities across the country.
"The results achieved in 2025 confirm the strength of our strategy and the MDS Group's ability to grow consistently across different geographies," said José Manuel Fonseca, chief executive of MDS Group and chief executive and president of Brokerslink. He said the group's international presence, connected through its Brokerslink network, allowed it to deliver differentiated solutions to clients and partners.
"2025 was another year of strong growth and consolidation for MDS Portugal," said Ricardo Pinto dos Santos, chief executive of MDS Portugal. He said the acquisitions completed and investments made reflected the group's ambition to build Portugal's leading insurance brokerage and risk management platform.
