Global: Industry pioneer Brian Salmanpour passes away in London at 74
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Oct 2024
 Salmanpour.jpg "Bahram (Brian) Salmanpour")
Kay International chairman Bahram (Brian) Salmanpour passed away on 9 August in London with his family at his side. Mr Salmanpour, a seasoned insurance market expert, began his career in 1974 by establishing Bland Payne’s Lloyd’s broker operation in Iran and co-founding Hafez Insurance.
Mr Salmanpour played a crucial role in placing property reinsurance and banker’s blanket policies in the Middle East. In 1980, he founded Kay International Company in the UK, securing binding authority to write facultative property risks and later obtaining underwriting authorities from prominent Lloyd’s syndicates. Mr Salmanpour expanded his influence into Eastern Europe in 1993, setting up insurance operations in Romania, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria and Russia.
Notably, Mr Salmanpour secured deprivation cover for Gazprom at Lloyd’s, generating over $19m in premiums. As co-founder of Londongate in 1998, he established insurance companies across Central Asia and Africa, pioneering British-managed insurance in these regions.
“In honour of his vision, spirit and deep loyalty for the business and his clients, Kay International will continue its operation as normal and the team will keep providing a first-class service as usual, armed with the expertise and culture that Brian has instilled in the team. Additionally, Brian’s son, Kayvan Salmanpour, with a deep commercial and insurance background, will be joining the board as a director and leader of the company,” the Salmanpour family said in a statement.
Mr Salmanpour was a dear friend of MEIR and we send our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues and friends. M