CFC Names Former Direct Line Exec Winslow as Group CEO, Succeeding O’Shea

CFC, the London-based specialist MGA, announced the appointment of Adam Winslow as group chief executive officer.

The current Group CEO Louise O’Shea, who has served for nearly six years, first as independent non-executive and latterly as CEO, will be stepping down but will remain a significant shareholder in the business.

Prior to joining CFC, Winslow was group CEO of Direct Line Group, where he improved profitability as well as led the company through its £3.7 billion combination with Aviva, creating a major player in the UK insurance market.

Before Direct Line Group, Winslow was CEO of Aviva’s UK and Ireland General Insurance business, where he accelerated growth and strengthened financial governance. His deep insurance expertise and strong execution focus will help CFC to accelerate its strategy, strengthen market leadership and capitalise on the next phase of growth.

Winslow succeeds Louise O’Shea, who stepped in at an important time for the business and under whose leadership the company has gone from strength to strength, the company said, explaining that O’Shea “built a world-class senior leadership team, enhanced and deepened CFC’s unique culture, implemented a scalable global operating model and delivered significant product innovation, all while achieving exceptional financial performance.”

Winslow’s appointment follows a rigorous succession process overseen by the board and O’Shea and he will join the business during the summer, subject to regulatory approval. In the interim, Andy Holmes, group capacity director and a 23-year veteran of the business, will serve as acting CEO to facilitate a seamless transition.

“The appointment of Adam as CEO comes at an exciting time for CFC as it looks to further accelerate global growth while unlocking the significant potential of AI across its operations,” commented John Howard, chairman of CFC. “Adam brings more than 20 years of leadership experience and a strong track record of delivering results in both public and private environments.

Howard went on to thank O’Shea “for her significant contribution to CFC and the progress made under her leadership.”

“CFC is one of the genuine success stories of the specialty market — a business with a distinctive model, an exceptional team and real momentum. That’s what attracted me, and it’s why I’m delighted to be joining,” said Winslow in a statement.