Howden continues to strengthen Construction division with 19 appointments across EMEA

Newly expanded team reinforces Howden’s commitment to invest in the best talent in the market to create tailored solutions for construction clients

London, 28 September 2021 - Howden, the international insurance broker, today announced the appointment of 19 new senior construction specialists in London and Dubai. Led by recently appointed Global Head of Construction Naresh Dade, and Andrew Harrison Sleap, Deputy Global Head of Construction, the strengthened team will focus on developing bespoke retail and specialty solutions for Howden’s construction clients.

The new hires are:

• Andrew Birt – Executive Director and Head of UK Projects
• Duncan Willcocks – Executive Director and Head of UK Contractors
• David Lyle – Executive Director and Deputy Head of UK Contractors
• Neil Higgins – Executive Director and head of Claims for Construction and Infrastructure Assets
• Paul Tubb – Executive Director and head of Infrastructure Assets
• Larissa Rosam - Divisional Director, International Construction
• Martin Hurley - Divisional Director
• James Crow – Divisional Director
• Christopher Graves – Divisional Director
• Steve McGuckin – Divisional Director, Head of Operations
• Nick Sparrow - Associate Director in Dubai Hub
• Mike Robinson - Associate Director
• Lizzie Conolly - Associate Director
• Jessica Lee - Associate Director
• Matheu Challinor – Divisional Director, Infrastructure Assets
• Karen O’Donnell – Divisional Director, Infrastructure Assets
• Nicole Welch – Associate Director, Infrastructure Assets
• Emma Archer – Associate Director, Infrastructure Assets
• Jack Gilbert – Account Executive, Infrastructure Assets

Howden has appointed four executive directors, welcoming Andrew Birt, Head of UK Projects, Duncan Willcocks, Head of UK Contractors, David Lyle, Deputy Head of UK Contractors, and Neil Higgins, Head of Claims for Construction and Infrastructure Assets. Birt, Willcocks, Lyle, and Higgins bring unparalleled knowledge of project risk across UK infrastructure and construction with individual careers spanning decades and ample experience between them.

The team also welcomes divisional directors Larissa Rosam, Martin Hurley, Christopher Graves and Steve McGuckin from October 2021. Rosam brings a wealth of experience in international project risk, whilst Hurley will be an integral part of the division’s retail growth strategy. Christopher Graves will join the international team in November 2021 and Steve McGuckin will join in Q1 2022 as Divisional Director and Head of Operations. James Crow joined in August from Aon, and will support the team with the retail proposition in the UK.

Separately, the construction division’s associate director bench has been bolstered to include Nick Sparrow, Mike Robinson, Jessica Lee and Lizzie Conolly joining from Marsh JLT. Sparrow joins the division’s Dubai hub, with Robinson, Lee and Conolly based in London.

The  recently launched Infrastructure Assets team will onboard divisional directors Karen O’Donnell and Matheu Challinor, and Associate Directors Nicole Welch and Emma Archer from October. They will be supported by Jack Gilbert who joins as an Account Executive from Aon, where he specialised in PFI/PPP and onshore renewable energy.

This significant investment in talent will strengthen Howden’s existing team focused on international projects. The new hires will join Executive Directors John Perrin and Mark Playle, Divisional Director Robert Webb, Associate Directors Orla Crosara, and Leandro Ramirez, and Connor Martiello, an account handler servicing international clients across Howden’s construction portfolio.

Speaking of the appointments, Naresh Dade, Managing Director, Global Head of Construction said:

I am thrilled to be in the position here at Howden where we have the flexibility and autonomy to build our construction offering directly in line with the needs of our clients. Talent acquisition is central to our ambitious growth strategy and is evident in the tribe we have brought together. As a division and as a business we are excited to see how this highly experienced group of individuals will elevate our construction and infrastructure offering to rival that of any of our competitors.