Four insurers and managing general agents (MGAs) operating in the UK market have announced senior leadership appointments across transactional risk, manufacturing resilience, digital trading and motor trade underwriting. Two of the appointments involve newly created positions rather than direct replacements, highlighting efforts by organisations to strengthen leadership in business areas that have grown in scale and complexity.
Liberty Mutual promotes Gareth Rees to Global Transaction Solutions leadership role
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group has promoted Gareth Rees to global lines leader for its Global Transaction Solutions (GTS) business, effective July 1, 2026. The internal appointment reflects the company’s focus on leadership continuity within one of the industry’s largest global M&A insurance platforms.
GTS provides representations and warranties, warranty and indemnity, tax liability, and contingent risk insurance across 13 jurisdictions. The business employs more than 90 specialists and completes over 1,500 transactions annually.
Rees joined the GTS division in 2015 and has served as chief underwriting officer for the past six years, working closely with teams across EMEA, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. A former corporate lawyer with extensive mergers and acquisitions experience, he succeeds Rowan Bamford, who has left the business to pursue other opportunities.
The promotion retains experienced leadership with deep knowledge of the business at a time when the transactional risk market continues to face evolving conditions, including seven consecutive quarters of declining M&A acquirer performance, according to WTW’s Q2 2026 data.
Arch Insurance creates new digital algorithms leadership position
Arch Insurance International has appointed Fred Bisson as head of digital algorithms, effective immediately. The newly created role will support the company’s international operations across the London Market, UK Regional, Australia, the European Union and Bermuda.
Based in London and reporting to Steven Perkins, head of strategic analytics, Bisson will oversee the development of algorithmic solutions designed to enhance digital trading capabilities and support underwriting teams as broker digital placement requirements continue to evolve.
Bisson joined Arch in 2024 as data science director and previously held predictive modelling and actuarial positions at Allianz Commercial and WTW.
FM appoints EMEA leader for mid-market manufacturing solution
FM has named Marie Diez as the EMEA lead for FM Essential, a product developed for manufacturers with medium-risk operations.
FM Essential is designed to combine the insurer’s engineering expertise with more flexible risk transfer solutions, providing an offering tailored to mid-market manufacturers that require comprehensive protection at a more accessible cost.
Diez joined FM in 2018 as a production underwriter in Spain and most recently served as an account manager in Madrid. Before joining FM, she held property underwriting roles with Zurich Insurance and AIG.
Lumara strengthens motor trade underwriting team
MISSION-backed MGA Lumara has appointed Jason Hartard as motor trade development underwriter, covering London and the South of England.
Hartard brings more than two decades of motor trade underwriting experience along with well-established broker relationships across the region.
Founded by former Covéa underwriters David Aslin and Mark Greig, Lumara launched in November 2025 as the eighth UK MGA supported by incubator MISSION. The company focuses on providing direct access to underwriters and relationship-driven service.
The Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) now represents more than 430 member organisations, reflecting the increasing competition within the specialist underwriting sector. In this environment, strong regional broker relationships and underwriting expertise continue to play an important role in helping firms differentiate themselves beyond product offerings.
