Insurance Daily News

Latest Insurance Appointments: HDI, Gallagher, HIVE and More

The insurance sector has seen a flurry of activity this week, with significant leadership appointments across political violence underwriting, property capacity, and transactional risk broking.

HDI Global UK and Ireland is expanding its crisis management division with two key hires from Aviva. Ashwin Kapoor joins as head of political violence and terrorism, and Tom Brown has been appointed as underwriting manager, both effective 1 December. According to Simon Hunt, chief executive of HDI Global UK and Ireland, the expansion supports the company’s Xcelerate29 strategy, addressing rising demand for political violence coverage amid geopolitical tensions.

In the specialty market, HIVE Underwriters has appointed Ed Wiley as class underwriter for property direct and facultative (D&F). Wiley, formerly head of international property at Sompo, brings over 20 years of experience and will collaborate with Richard Brown to build the company’s global property D&F business. Meanwhile, Folgate Underwriting Agency has finalized its underwriting leadership team with the appointment of Simon Bell as chief underwriting officer for commercial and mid-market. Bell, who spent 15 years at Touchstone Underwriting, will oversee the final pillar of the agency’s four-part business structure.

Gallagher is strengthening its private equity and M&A practice in the UK and Ireland. Alex Peake, formerly of WTW, has been named head of warranty and indemnity (W&I), supported by new director Sean Grogan, who joins from a background in transaction services at PwC and Deloitte. Additionally, Emily Sawyer and Max Marshall have transitioned into the practice from internal roles. Steve Jones, chief executive of private equity and M&A solutions for the UK and Ireland, noted the rising demand for insurance-backed risk transfer in M&A transactions.

In the insurtech space, Italian telematics firm Targa Telematics has named Marco Amendolagine as head of business development for insurance. With 18 years of experience, Amendolagine is tasked with expanding the company’s insurance partnerships. Targa’s platform aggregates vehicle data, such as driving behavior and incident detection, for insurers managing commercial motor and fleet business.

Finally, the Coversure Network, part of the Jensten Group, has added London-based AF Insurance to its roster. Founded in 2021 by director James Walsh, AF Insurance focuses on high-net-worth clients, prestige vehicles, and commercial property portfolios. The partnership allows the firm to access insurer agencies and compliance support while maintaining its independent identity.

These personnel and partnership shifts highlight a broader trend of firms aggressively building out specialized capacity and regional expertise to navigate an increasingly competitive market. Brokers should monitor how these new underwriting teams and data-driven platforms impact capacity and pricing, particularly in the softening property market and the evolving transactional risk space.

Why it matters

The recent wave of senior appointments and network acquisitions signals a strategic push by firms to secure specialized talent and capacity in competitive sectors like political violence, M&A, and commercial property.

FAQ

Who has HDI Global UK and Ireland appointed to its political violence and terrorism team?
Ashwin Kapoor has been appointed as head of political violence and terrorism, and Tom Brown has been appointed as underwriting manager.

What is the focus of AF Insurance, which recently joined the Coversure Network?
AF Insurance specializes in high-net-worth property, prestige vehicles, jewellery, fine art, commercial and investment property portfolios, and specialist protection for professional sportspeople.

What is the primary function of Targa Telematics' platform?
The platform aggregates vehicle data—including location, driving behaviour, mileage, and incident detection—to package it for insurers writing commercial motor and fleet business.

Source: Insurance Business UK. See the original source for full details.