Senior leadership changes across the insurance market this week cover private equity and M&A advisory, underwriting and claims, finance, MGA governance, broker relationships, and political risk. Several insurers and insurance businesses have strengthened their leadership teams with executives bringing extensive experience across specialty insurance, broking, M&A, and international markets.
Gallagher strengthens EMEA private equity and M&A leadership
Gallagher has appointed Paul Jeroen van de Grampel as chief commercial officer, EMEA, within its Private Equity and M&A (PEMA) practice.
Van de Grampel brings more than 25 years of experience spanning private equity, mergers and acquisitions, asset management, and insurance. His career includes working as a corporate M&A lawyer, serving as a partner at a private equity fund, and holding positions within Aon’s M&A and Transaction Solutions business. Most recently, he served as regional leader for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Gallagher has also appointed Louis Mannell as operations director, EMEA, and Joshua Yardley as operations manager, UK. Both executives join from a peer firm and bring experience from a period of significant growth in private equity and M&A insurance.
The appointments provide brokers advising private equity sponsors and corporate buyers on warranty and indemnity, tax liability, and contingent risk insurance with a more senior EMEA-wide contact for coordinating cross-border transactions.
Van de Grampel’s previous experience as a buy-side lawyer and private equity fund partner also gives him direct knowledge of the transaction process from the client’s perspective. This background could support more commercially focused discussions around insurance structures when Gallagher becomes involved in live transactions.
MS Amlin introduces new commercial director position
MS Amlin has appointed Sarah Reidy to the newly established position of commercial director. She will report to chief underwriting officer Martin Burke and will work as a connection between the insurer’s underwriting teams and senior broker leadership.
Reidy joins MS Amlin from Aon Inpoint, where she most recently served as managing director. She brings more than 16 years of experience across broking and insurance, including senior positions at Ardonagh, Piiq Risk Partners, Willis Towers Watson, Zurich and QBE.
Reidy is scheduled to take up the position in December 2026.
Her career across major broking organizations and Aon Inpoint gives her experience of both sides of the insurer-broker relationship. Aon Inpoint focuses on broker and carrier performance data, providing Reidy with an understanding of how brokers assess carrier relationships as well as how insurers approach portfolio management.
For brokers working with MS Amlin, the newly created position provides a dedicated senior-level link between underwriting and broker relationships.
Davies appoints group CFO from NielsenIQ
Davies has appointed Alban de Vatteville as group chief financial officer. He will join later this year, report to group chief executive Dan Saulter, and become a member of the group executive committee.
De Vatteville joins from NielsenIQ, where he currently serves as deputy CFO and CFO of its Activation business, a unit generating approximately $750 million in revenue.
During his time at NielsenIQ, he led finance activities associated with the company’s acquisition and integration of GfK. He also helped drive a cash-generation programme ahead of NielsenIQ’s public listing and supported its separation from Nielsen under Advent International ownership.
The appointment represents another change at the senior level of Davies’ finance function. Amber Wilkinson became group CFO in July 2024 after joining from DLA Piper, succeeding Tony Debiase, who had held the position for 12 years.
De Vatteville’s experience in M&A integration and cash generation is particularly relevant as Davies pursues its stated Vision 2030 ambition of doubling the business.
For brokers whose insurer or MGA clients use Davies for claims or technology services, continued investment and stability within the company’s infrastructure can have a direct impact on service delivery.
Avid and Landmark appoint new non-executive chairman
Avid Insurance and Landmark Underwriting, both businesses within Bishop Street Underwriters, have appointed Stuart Davies as non-executive chairman.
Davies succeeds Mark Cliff and Peter Staddon, who are stepping down after six years as chairmen of Avid and Landmark, respectively.
Davies has more than 30 years of experience across the London and international insurance markets. His career includes 11 years at Aegis London, followed by a period as group chief executive of Sompo Canopius, where he oversaw international specialty operations, including the US business.
He has also worked as a non-executive director at Apollo Group, where he supported its sale to Skyward Specialty. Davies currently holds non-executive positions at Milestone Risk Solutions and Momentum Insurance.
The appointments come after Bishop Street Underwriters expanded internationally through its acquisition of Landmark in February 2025, followed by its acquisition of Avid in October 2025.
For brokers placing business with Avid or Landmark, Davies’ experience in international specialty insurance and business transformation adds senior governance experience as the two MGAs continue operating within a larger US-backed platform.
His previous involvement with Apollo’s sale to a US specialty insurer is also relevant to Bishop Street’s international growth strategy, particularly as Avid and Landmark manage relationships involving carriers, investors and international specialty markets.
BHSI appoints dual-role leader in Spain
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has appointed Maria Victoria Valentin-Gamazo as both head of executive and professional lines and head of customer and broker engagement for Spain.
Valentin-Gamazo brings more than 20 years of insurance experience, including 17 years leading financial lines businesses at AIG Iberia. Her background includes extensive knowledge of financial lines products and the Spanish and Portuguese insurance markets.
The dual appointment combines underwriting leadership with responsibility for customer and broker engagement.
For Spanish brokers placing financial lines business with BHSI, this structure creates a senior contact responsible for both product strategy and broker and customer relationships.
Valentin-Gamazo’s long experience in financial lines at AIG Iberia also provides significant familiarity with the underwriting of corporate risks across Spain and Portugal. This background is particularly relevant for brokers handling complex D&O and professional indemnity placements in the region.
Fidelis Partnership strengthens claims and political risk leadership
The Fidelis Partnership has appointed Steve Crabb as group head of claims and Megha Khanduja as head of political risk. Both executives are based in London.
Crabb brings nearly 25 years of specialty claims experience and previously served as European head of claims at Allied World.
Khanduja joins from Bloomberg, where she was head of Europe and multilaterals for insurance solutions. Before that, she spent eight years at AXA XL as senior underwriter for political risk, credit and bond. She brings more than 12 years of underwriting experience covering emerging markets across Africa, Latin America and South Asia.
The appointments follow Fidelis’ launch of a war, terror and political violence consortium in June 2026, which provides up to $345 million of coverage per risk worldwide.
The leadership additions are particularly relevant for brokers operating in specialty and political risk markets.
Crabb’s claims expertise is significant for the high-severity and volatile classes in which Fidelis operates. Effective claims management following a major loss can play an important role in a client’s decision to continue its relationship with an insurer.
Khanduja’s appointment also supports Fidelis’ strategy of cross-selling through Pine Walk. For brokers managing clients with wider specialty or trade credit programmes, the move could make political risk coverage more integrated into existing Fidelis placements.
Leadership changes reflect continued specialization across insurance
The latest appointments highlight the insurance industry’s continued focus on strengthening specialist expertise, broker relationships and international capabilities.
Gallagher is expanding senior leadership around private equity and M&A insurance, while MS Amlin is creating a dedicated commercial role connecting underwriting and broker leadership. Davies is adding finance expertise with a background in acquisitions and integration, while Avid and Landmark are strengthening governance under Bishop Street Underwriters.
Meanwhile, BHSI is combining underwriting and broker engagement responsibilities in Spain, and Fidelis is adding senior expertise across claims and political risk.
Together, these appointments demonstrate how insurers, MGAs and insurance service businesses are continuing to invest in leadership positions designed to support growth, specialist underwriting, broker relationships and operational development.
