Market Moves: Hires at RSA, Keelan Westall and MGAA among the week’s major moves

• Among insurers, Zurich has appointed Mike Davies as global head of marine underwriting. Davies, who has 32 years’ experience in the marine sector, was most recently Zurich’s head of marine underwriting for the Asia Pacific region. He takes over from Lee Meyrick, who left Zurich in April, and will report to Juan Beer, chief underwriting officer for property, engineering lines and marine.

Kiln has appointed Robin Hargreaves as chairman of its underwriting board. Hargreaves, whose career at Kiln spans more than 32 years, steps up to the role from his position as active underwriter of Kiln’s largest division, property and special lines, which he has led since 2000. He will be responsible for enhancing broker and coverholder relationships across Kiln. Mark Mortlock will become active underwriter of Kiln’s property and special lines team. Mortlock, who has been deputy underwriter of the division since 2005, brings more than 25 years’ experience in the insurance market to the role.

• In the broking sector, wholesale property insurance intermediary Keelan Westall has appointed Becky Hyndman as its new business development manager to spearhead expansion across the North East. Prior to joining Keelan Westall, which was recently acquired by Arthur J Gallagher & Co, Hyndman was regional development manager at Towergate Underwriting, where she was responsible for the growth and management of the company’s key broker accounts. She also spent six months working for the consolidator’s commercial property department. Prior to this, Hyndman was an assistant underwriter at Chubb.

Bollington has recruited Anita Jones as a commercial account manager, with a specific focus on motor salvage operators and vehicle dismantlers. Jones, who brings 20 years of insurance experience to the role, will work with the broker’s risk management division to write business in all commercial sectors.

Lloyd’s broker the Chesterfield Group, has appointed Catherine Murray to the role of executive director, to assist with the expansion of its North American business. Murray, whose career spans more than 25 years in the London insurance market, joins the firm having vacated her role at RK Harrison and will be charged with helping grow the firm’s international presence.

Miller has appointed Simon Weaver as head of Asia with effect from 1 September. Weaver was previously chief executive of JLT Specialty Asia, responsible for developing and launching JLT’s specialty strategy in the region. Having started his career in the London Market, Weaver has worked in Asia since 1996 and held managing director positions in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore. He will be based in Singapore and report to Julian Taylor, who is a member of Miller’s partnership board and leads the firm’s energy business.

• Among service providers, Xchanging has appointed Guy Lether as head of its new energy, marine and liability team at Xchanging Claims Services. Nick Harris and Tony Walker will continue to lead technical expertise in cargo and hull. Lether has almost 20 years’ experience within the insurance industry, having previously held senior roles at both Tryg Baltica and Cox Syndicate Management. He was formerly head of energy and liability at XCS.

• In the boardroom, The Managing General Agents’ Association has appointed Peter Hubbard, group CEO of UK General, and Tom Downey, director of MGAs at RSA, to its board of directors. The appointments, confirmed at the association’s recent general meeting, see Hubbard appointed as a full member representative and Downey as representative of the market practitioner members. Both were elected for two-year terms and the positions were uncontested. Hubbard will also chair the MGAA’s executive and finance committee, while Downey
will join the membership benefits committee.

RSA, meanwhile, has recruited Standard Chartered’s wholesale banking chief operating officer Kath Cates to its board, with effect from 1 September. Cates will also join the insurer’s risk and audit committees. Prior to her time with the bank, Cates spent more than 20 years at UBS, rising to become global head of compliance.