People Moves: HUB Int’l Names Dutton President of HUB Canada West; Von Mesterhazy Appointed Managing Director of Allianz UK Specialty, as O’Keeffe Retires
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at HUB International and Allianz UK Specialty.
A summary of these new hires follows here.
HUB International Names Dutton President of HUB Canada West
HUB International (HUB), the Chicago-based global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, announced Mark Dutton as president of HUB Canada West, operating within British Columbia.
In this role, Dutton will be responsible for the development and oversight of strategy for the region.
“We are excited to welcome Mark to HUB,” said, David Moon, president of HUB Western Canada. “Mark will play an integral role in elevating our brand and driving innovation and growth in the region to further elevate our ability to deliver exceptional value to clients and become a valuable resource for our team.”
Most recently, Dutton was chief executive officer for Canada’s largest niche managing general agent in the vehicle replacement segment, Optiom Inc., which offers products to Canadian consumers through dealership and insurance brokerage points of distribution. Prior roles include head of national insurance operations at one of the largest insurance brokerages in Canada – Western Financial Group – where he led all property and casualty technical operations, as well as dedicated white-label personal commercial insurance products and services.
“I am honored to be a part of the HUB team and look forward to contributing to the company’s growth and success,” said Dutton. “I am eager to bring my skills and passion to help drive our shared vision into the future.”
Von Mesterhazy Appointed Managing Director of Allianz UK Specialty, as O’Keeffe Retires
Allianz UK has announced that Isabella Von Mesterhazy has been appointed managing director for its specialty business, effective Dec. 1, 2024, subject to regulatory approval. This appointment follows the decision by the current MD for Specialty, Kieran O’Keeffe, to retire at the end of the year.
In this role, Von Mesterhazy will lead the specialty business, which comprises Petplan, Petplan Equine and LV= Pet, and will report directly to Colm Holmes, CEO Allianz UK, as a member of the Allianz UK Executive Committee. Allianz’s combined pet businesses make it the UK’s largest pet insurer.
Allianz Specialty is an important arm of the UK business and has achieved consistently strong performance figures throughout 2024 and in previous years. Established over 48 years ago, Petplan is the UK’s number one pet insurer, insuring over 1.3 million pets and supporting 1,200 animal charities.
Since Von Mesterhazy joined in 2011 as head of marketing and sales for Petplan and Allianz Pet, through to her most recent role as director of trading for Allianz Specialty, she has been instrumental in brand development and change.
A recruitment process is now underway for the director of trading for Allianz Specialty, which will be announced in due course.
“It’s fantastic news that Bella has taken up the reins for the specialty arm of Allianz. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry to this role and I look forward to working with her within our executive committee,” said Colm Holmes, CEO, Allianz UK, in a statement.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to say a final farewell and thank you to Kieran, we’re deeply appreciative of his contributions and the positive impact he has had on our business.”