People Moves: Beazley Chair to Step Down; Miller Forms Farms & Estates Team With 2 Hires From Aon; AXA XL Names HDI’s White as Senior PI Underwriter

This edition of International People Moves details board changes at Beazley and appointments at Miller and AXA XL.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Beazley’s Chair Roberts to Step Down

Beazley plc announced that its chair, David Roberts will be standing down from the board in autumn 2022 to take up the role as chair of the Court of the Bank of England.

The company said it will update the market with precise timing of Roberts’ exit when these details are known.

In the event that a new chair is not in post, Christine LaSala, the senior independent director will chair the board and the nomination committee on an interim basis, Bob Stuchbery will act as interim senior independent director, and Nicola Hodson will act as interim chair of the remuneration committee while the search for a replacement board chair is undertaken. When a chair is appointed, the directors will resume their usual responsibilities.

LaSala joined Beazley’s board in 2016 and has been the senior independent director since March 2019 and chair of the remuneration committee since March 2021. In late 2021, she also joined the board of Sedgwick as an independent director. She has 45 years of senior management, client leadership and financial experience in the insurance industry including work as an underwriter, and an insurance broker working with large corporate and public institution clients. For 10 years she was president and CEO of the WTC Captive Insurance Co. Latterly she was chair of Willis Towers Watson North America.

“I would like to thank David Roberts for the important role he has played at Beazley over the past 5 years, most notably as we faced the challenges of COVID-19 and the transformation of our executive management team. In particular, the board would like to thank David for the leadership he has shown in improving diversity and inclusion at Beazley,” commented LaSala.

She said Beazley is in the process of selecting a successor and will provide an update in due course.

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Miller Forms Farms and Estates Team With 2 Senior Hires

Miller, the London-based independent specialist re/insurance broker, announced it has hired Paul Jacobs and Steve Quick to form a Rural (Farms and Estates) team.

The Rural team will be part of Miller’s new “International Special Asset Insurance” department, which incorporates its Private Client, Rural and soon-to-be-launched Equine offerings. Jacobs will report to Katie Small, head of Private Clients, with Quick reporting to Jacobs. Both started their roles on July 11, 2022.

Jacobs and Quick each bring more than 20 years’ experience advising clients in the rural sector. Jacobs was previously claims director for Affinity and Private Clients at Aon Risk Solutions and has also been head of Technical Claims for Marsh Private Clients.

Quick also joins from Aon, where he was account director, and has worked with landed estate and high net worth clients for Robins Row, James Hallam and Marsh.

“These appointments deepen Miller’s market leading capabilities in serving the needs of high and ultra-high net worth clients, which is why we are delighted to establish this dedicated new Rural team. Paul and Steve both have extensive experience advising and supporting landowners, while the high-touch service and bespoke approach needed for complex clients in this space is a natural fit with Miller’s strengths,” commented Katie Small, head of Private Clients.

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AXA XL Names HDI’s White as Senior PI Underwriter

AXA XL Insurance announced it has appointed Sarah White as senior underwriter, Professional Indemnity, UK & Lloyd’s, with immediate effect.

In her new role, White will be responsible for helping to deliver the strategic, profitable growth of AXA XL’s professional indemnity book of business in the UK and establishing and developing relationships with key brokers and clients, including large global professional service firms, such as accountants, architects, engineers and law firms.

White began her insurance career in 2006 as an account manager in the Professional Indemnity team at Lockton (formerly Alexander Forbes). In 2010, she joined HDI Global Specialty (formerly Inter Hannover) as an assistant underwriter, before being promoted to underwriter and later, senior underwriter and product lead for SME lawyers.

Topics Underwriting Agribusiness Aon AXA XL