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People on the move

Source: Middle East Insurance Review | May 2019

Aon hires head of EMEA M&A
Aon has appointed Mr Edwin Charnaud as EMEA chairman for its M&A and transaction solutions business, effective 15 April. 
 
Mr Charnaud brings his strategic insights to help accelerate the execution of the regional M&A and transaction solutions growth plan and will focus on strengthening relationships with private equity and infrastructure clients.  
 
Prior to joining Aon, he was with Marsh, where was chairman of the global infrastructure practice and EMEA head of private equity and M&A from 2004, having also previously worked at Willis. 

BHSI adds transactional liability insurance, hires new lead
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI) has announced that it has begun offering transactional liability insurance through its Asia and Middle East (AME) regions and appointed Mr Steven Harwood as the head of transactional liability in AME. 
 
Mr Harwood joins BHSI from Pembroke Managing Agency Underwriting at Lloyd’s Japan, where he was senior underwriter & solicitor, M&A insurnce. His new role will have him based in BHSI’s Hong Kong office. 
 
Prior to that, he was senior associate at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, specialising in M&A, and divisional director (London and Tokyo) at Willis Faber & Dumas Ltd. 
 
BHSI head of AME Marc Breuil said in a statement, “Properly navigating the risks of corporate transactions is critical to growing companies and industry leaders alike. This expansion enhances our ability to provide transactional liability underwriting expertise and know-how through our regional hubs of Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.” 

ArgoGlobal strengthens EMEA operations with new hire 
ArgoGlobal has appointed Ms Helen Donegan as head of operations, Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA), reporting to managing director Dominic Kirby.  
 
She has more than 10 years of industry experience and was previously from MS Amlin where she served as group head of underwriting management following the merger of Amlin and MSIG in 2017. Prior to this role, she served as underwriting performance manager at what was then Amlin. She began her career as a reinsurance technician at Pacific Life Re in 2008, before joining Lloyd’s of London in 2010 as an account executive.
 
Mr Kirby said of the appointment, “Helen has an excellent track record of leading global teams and measurably improving their operational performance. She will play a vital role in helping us execute our strategic priorities due to her knowledge of business operating models and key markets like Lloyd’s.” 

Bahrain: Trust Re appoints new group CEO
Bahrain-based Trust International Insurance & Reinsurance has appointed Mr Talal Al Zain as group CEO, the reinsurer said in a statement.
 
Mr Al Zain brings with him broad regional and international experience from the US, Europe and the MENA region having held senior executive positions in the fields of banking and investment.
 
Most recently, Mr Al Zain was founder and director of Jisr Capital. Previously he was CEO of PineBridge Investments Middle East and co-head of alternative investments at PineBridge Investments. 
 
Prior to that, he was a founding board member and the CEO of Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, managing over $10bn of assets.
 
He spent 18 years with Investcorp Bank as managing director and co-head of placement & relationship management. 
Before that, he was vice president of private banking international and head of investment banking for the Middle East and Pakistan with Chase Manhattan Bank. 
 
Outgoing CEO Fadi AbuNahl led Trust Re for 12 years from 2006. The years under his leadership were characterised by diversification in classes of business and consistent investment in human capital, reflective of his drive and persistent efforts towards innovation and growth, Trust Re said. He is moving to Cyprus to take a leading role at Nest Investments Holdings.

Bahrain: AAOIFI board of trustees appoints new sec-gen
The Board of Trustees of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) has appointed Mr Omar Mustafa Ansari as its new secretary general during its meeting in April.  
 
Mr Ansari is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP). In his previous role he was partner – assurance & head of islamic finance (Pakistan & Afghanistan) at Ernst & Young Ford Rhodes Sidat Hyder – a member firm of Ernst & Young. At AAOIFI, he has been responsible primarily for leading the process of development of accounting, auditing, governance and ethics standards for the global Islamic finance industry, besides managing the overall affairs of the institution as the acting secretary general. 
 
The chairman of the board, HE Sheikh Ebrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said in a statement, “During his last four years with AAOIFI, including more than a year as acting secretary general, AAOIFI has not only issued a record number of standards (12) and exposure drafts (6), but has also strengthened its position working tirelessly by engaging industry stakeholders and maintaining AAOIFI as a truly global standard setting body. We are hopeful and confident that under his leadership AAOIFI will achieve greater heights in fulfilling its mission and wide-spread implementation of its standards in more countries and jurisdictions around the globe.” 

Turkey: New head for Willis Towers Watson 
Willis Towers Watson has named Mr Tarik Serpil as the new head of its business in Turkey. Mr Serpil will be responsible for growing and developing WTW Turkey across a range of business specialities in the areas of people and risk. 
 
He joined the company as head of corporate risk and broking in September 2016, and will continue to serve in that role. He was previously with Marsh for 20 years, holding a variety of leadership and insurance broking positions. 
 
WTW head of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) Pamela Thomson-Hall said in a statement, “Turkey is a dynamic market with great potential, and Tarik has the strategic insight and leadership experience to further grow our capabilities there. He has elevated our corporate risk and broking business in recent years, and now his focus will be on developing our full range of client solutions.”

UAE: HFW opens Abu Dhabi office, hires new partner 
Law firm HFW has continued to expand its fast-growing Middle East practice, with the launch of a new insurance offering in Abu Dhabi, headed by new partner Justin Whelan
 
Mr Whelan’s arrival means that HFW now has specialist insurance teams in each of its four Middle East offices: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait City and Riyadh. He joins the firm’s 24 partners and more than 70 lawyers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.  
 
Formerly from Ince Gordon Dadds, Mr Whelan has significant experience litigating in the UAE and English courts, and also in various forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation. 
 
He advises global insurers, reinsurers and insureds on insurance and reinsurance claims, policy coverage, subrogated recoveries, public and employer’s liability and property damage claims, with a particular focus on the real estate, construction, travel and professional indemnity sectors. He is also a leading expert in cyber security and cyber insurance.
 
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