People Moves: Markel Announces 2 Key Hires for International Casualty Team; Howden Re Taps Gruen From AXIS as Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Markel and Howden Re.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Markel Appoints 2 Key Hires for International Casualty Team

Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group, announced the appointment of Robert Hannaford to the role of senior underwriter, Life Science, and James Murray as head of General Liability, with immediate effect.

These new hires will work within the company’s International Casualty team and report to Graeme Ivory, director, International Casualty.

In his new position, Hannaford will support the development and build-out of Markel’s Life Science portfolio in London, ensuring long-term profitable growth. His other primary duties will involve identifying and assessing risk exposures to provide tailored insurance coverage through superior underwriting for a range of life science companies, including areas such as pharmaceutical manufacturing/distribution, nutraceuticals, medical devices, contract manufacturing and clinical trials, among others.

Hannaford brings more than a decade of underwriting experience to his new role, including cross-functional skills and expertise in life sciences, clinical trials and large multinational programmes for various industries. Previously, Hannaford spent 11 years at Newline Group. After joining as an underwriting assistant, he was promoted to underwriter, where he serviced international clients and collaborated with overseas offices to provide global solutions for their clients locally across the insurer’s Life Science portfolio.

Meanwhile, Murray will work closely with Ivory to develop and lead a profitable international general liability portfolio. This will include fostering broker relationships and maintaining high service levels for broker and their stakeholders. He will also be tasked with recruiting new underwriters to the international general liability team and mentoring existing colleagues, including supporting their professional development.

Previously, Murray was employed at AXA XL as underwriting manager for international wholesale liability, UK and Lloyd’s, where he led a team of underwriters and was responsible for managing coverholder relationships across Canada, Australia and Europe. Before his employment at AXA XL, Murray worked in MS Amlin’s international casualty division for six years, during which time he received two promotions in short succession from underwriting assistant to underwriter, international casualty.

Howden Re Taps Gruen From AXIS as Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence

Howden Re, the reinsurance and risk advisory arm of insurance broker Howden, announced it has appointed cyber risk specialist, Harriet Gruen, as head of Cyber Threat Intelligence, based in London.

Gruen joins Howden Re with eight years of cyber industry experience, the four most recent of which were at global insurers. As a senior cyber risk advisor at AXIS Capital in London she helped list the first 144A cyber catastrophe bond and led investor education on cyber risk.

Previously, she was a cyber risk specialist at Tokio Marine Holdings, where she designed cyber scenarios and delivered technical training. Gruen also worked at both HSBC and Digital Shadows in London in the Strategic Security Threat and Cyber Threat teams, respectively, and in the Department of the Australian prime minister. She has a Master of Science from the London School of Economics.

Howden Re said it has been building its cyber reinsurance practice over the last 14 months to develop an industry-leading offering. Senior hires in addition to Gruen include:

• Luke Foord-Kelcey joined Howden Re in October 2023 to build out the practice as global head of Cyber. He joined after seven years at Aon Reinsurance where was global head of Cyber, and has nearly 20 years’ experience in various roles in the cyber market.
• Matthew Webb joined in May 2023 as head of Cyber Clients & Strategy. Webb joined from Hiscox where he held roles such as group head of Cyber and leading its syndicate cyber portfolio as line underwriter.
• Mark Lynch joined Howden Re in October 2023 as head of Cyber Data & Analytics from Aon Reinsurance, where he had been head of Cyber Innovation & Capital.
• Toby Lampier joined in July 2023 as head of Cyber Broking & Markets, having previously been at Aon for nearly 10 years, including six years in cyber reinsurance.
• Jack Sandford joined Howden Re in October 2023 as a director in cyber reinsurance, and previously had held roles at Aon and Canopius in cyber reinsurance and catastrophe risk, respectively.