People moves – 10 March 2011

Insurers/Underwriters

Ace
Ace has appointed Matthias Meyenhofer as head of continental Europe for Ace Tempest Re International. Based in Zurich, Mr Meyenhofer joins from Axis Capital, where he was vice president. He has been a reinsurance treaty underwriter since 2006. Prior to this, he worked in Axis Capital's property catastrophe business.

Aegis
Aegis London has moved into livestock underwriting with the appointment of experienced underwriter Sophie Dunkerley. Ms Dunkerley joins from Markel International where she was livestock underwriter. Prior to that she worked for Talbot Underwriting, where she was responsible for setting up the bloodstock/livestock division. Her 10 years in the insurance business have also included spells at Wellington and Crowe.

Argo
Argo International has appointed Nigel Dorning to its casualty team. Mr Dorning has nearly 40 years' experience in the London casualty market, in both the underwriting and broking sectors, and has been a professional indemnity specialist for more than 30 years. He joins from Amlin UK, where he was most recently leading class underwriter for PI. During his time at Amlin, he was a member of the group reinsurance security committee and chair of the UK reinsurance committee. Prior to this, he worked as a PI and casualty excess-of-loss underwriter at RGB Underwriting Agencies.

Brit
Brit Insurance has expanded its war & terrorism team with the appointment of Charles Barrett as terrorism underwriter. In his new role, Mr Barrett will be based in London and responsible for underwriting a diverse range of political violence and aviation war-related risks. He joins from broker Willis, where he was more recently vice president for the North American terrorism practice, responsible for leading the London-based team specialising in terrorism placements for North American domiciled clients.

Canopius
Simon Low, an expert in political risk, aviation war and trade credit insurance, has joined Canopius. Mr Low arrives from Ark Syndicate 4020, where he was responsible for the terrorism, war and political risk team. He has 23 years' experience and will lead a newly created underwriting division, political risk & crisis management. He will also oversee the accident & health lines.

Channel Syndicate
Lloyd's Channel Syndicate 2015 has appointed David Leathem as head of its property division. Mr Leathem has 30 years' experience in the London market and has built an international property account from a standing start for previous companies. He will be joined by an experienced team shortly.

Ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical has appointed Julie Molloy as regional director for its northern regional centre. Ms Molloy, who most recently held the position of head of customer service, replaces current director Paul Lee who takes up the role of operational excellence director. Ms Molloy has been with the firm for 16 years having previously worked as an account executive with a number of brokers in and around Manchester.

XL Insurance
XL Insurance has appointed David Longley as senior underwriter, design professional in London. Mr Longley has nearly 15 years of professional indemnity underwriting experience including at Lloyd's. He joins from Ace Europe where he was senior PI underwriter with a focus on the construction industry.

Brokers/Intermediaries

Cooper Gay
Cooper Gay has appointed Jeremy Austen as head of broking for its Singapore office. Mr Austen will focus on business development throughout the region. He joins from Talbot Asia, where he was principal underwriting officer of the Lloyd's syndicate. During his 30-year career he has also worked for brokers Cogent and Arthur J Gallagher.

JLT
Jardine Lloyd Thompson has appointed Mark Drummond Brady as an executive director. Mr Drummond Brady has been with the firm since 1987, is the international chairman of risk and insurance and a member of the group executive committee.

La Playa
London and Cambridge-based insurance specialist La Playa has made two internal appointments, promoting Tracey McCreath to director of media, arts & entertainment, and Paula Hawthorne to head of performing arts. Ms McCreath has been with the firm for three years, having previously run global insurance portfolios for Aon in the City. Ms Hawthorne joined eight years ago, having previously worked as a City loss adjuster. She is an experienced broker for orchestras, and now works closely with the Association of British Orchestras on its own insurance scheme.

Legal

Hogan Lovells
Hogan Lovells has promoted 36 associates and counsel to the partnership and 31 associates have also been promoted to the role of counsel. As a result, the firm will have more than 800 partners in offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US. In the insurance and reinsurance practice, Luis Alfonso Fernandez has been promoted to the partnership in Madrid, and Sara Bradstock is appointed to insurance litigation of counsel in London.

Loss Adjusters

Questgates
Questgates has expanded its counter-fraud division with the appointment of Robin Hayward as senior investigator. Mr Hayward has nearly 30 years' operational investigative experience, including more than 10 years with Kent Police.

Service Providers

BDM
Actuarial and administrative professional services firm Bradshaw Dixon Moore has appointed John Riley as an actuarial consultant to the firm. Mr Riley is a qualified actuary with experience advising on the valuation of pensions. He spent nearly 30 years at Sun Life Assurance Society and, after leaving in 1997, developed his own actuarial consultancy business.

Kane
Specialist risk and insurance management services provider Kane, has appointed Ray Blackman as chief operating officer. Prior to joining the firm, Mr Blackman was a partner at Rule Financial and, during his 30-year career, also ran his own consulting and training company. In conjunction with this, Toby Foster will become managing director of business development for UK and European operations. In addition to this role, Mr Foster will chair the company's business strategy advisory group.

Open GI
Open GI has strengthened its marketing operation with the appointment of Adele Clarkson to the role of marketing and PR manager. Ms Clarkson has a career spanning more than 20 years in business-to-business marketing of IT software services, across the finance, health, education and automotive sectors. She previously held senior roles at Cap Gemini and within telecommunications groups AT&T Istel and Marconi.

Professional Bodies

GIIA
The Guernsey International Insurance Association has appointed a new chair following its annual general meeting. Martin Le Pelley, of Heritage Insurance Management, has replaced Dominic Wheatley of Willis Management (Guernsey). Mr Le Pelley is the compliance director of Heritage Insurance Management and was previously treasurer of the GIIA.