Lockton, Arch Insurance Australia, and Wotton Kearney have announced new senior appointments and an advisory launch in Australia, targeting client, underwriting, and cyber-related risk functions across the region’s insurance market.
Arch Insurance Australia has promoted Aisling Hegarty (pictured) to head of professional indemnity, effective immediately. She is based in Melbourne and reports to regional manager Dominic Brannigan. In the new role, Hegarty is responsible for leading the professional indemnity (PI) team, setting underwriting parameters and overseeing portfolio development nationally. The PI portfolio serves a range of professions, including accountants, consultants, design and construction firms, engineers, environmental professionals, and law firms. Hegarty joined Arch in 2019 as a senior underwriter and later became southern regional underwriting manager, with responsibility for growing the PI portfolio in Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. Before joining Arch, she held financial lines underwriting roles at Chubb, Vero Insurance, and Zurich.
Commenting on the promotion, Brannigan said Hegarty’s experience spans multiple segments of the PI market. “I’m very pleased to announce Aisling’s well-deserved promotion. Her proven track record of developing underwriting strategy and deep expertise across SME, mid-market, and complex PI risks makes her well positioned to lead the continued growth of the portfolio and relevance with brokers across Australia,” Brannigan said. The appointment comes as demand for professional indemnity cover continues to be influenced by changing liability exposures and regulatory expectations for professional services firms.
Lockton has appointed David Gower as chief client officer – Pacific Region, with the role based in Adelaide and responsible for client relationships across the Pacific markets. Gower joins Lockton after 46 years at Aon. His previous positions there included about 30 years as South Australian state director for its Global & Corporate division. He also held several national roles, including Western Region manager, Global & Corporate for South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory; state director, Global & Corporate South Australia; and national director for business development and growth.
Marcus Pearson, CEO of Lockton Pacific, said Gower’s background covers a range of public and private-sector accounts. “David has built deep and trusted client partnerships across the public and private sectors, spanning a diverse range of industries. He has acted as a trusted advisor and broker to many of Australia’s largest companies, government agencies, and public entities cementing his reputation as one of the nation’s most respected and influential advisers. David’s leadership, expertise, and longstanding industry relationships will be vital as we continue to expand our footprint. In his capacity as chief client officer – Pacific Region, he will be responsible for institutionalising the unparalleled service levels Lockton is known for,” Pearson said.
Lockton said Gower will also work with the South Australian office, opened 18 months ago, as it seeks additional corporate and government business in that market. Gower said the move represents a new stage in his career. “I am delighted to announce that after 46 years at Aon, I have been appointed as chief client officer – Pacific Region, at Lockton. I am grateful for the colleagues, clients, and insurers that I have met throughout my time, and I’m really looking forward to this exciting new chapter,” Gower said.
Wotton Kearney has launched WK Advisory, a non-legal advisory business that will initially concentrate on cyber, data, and technology risk. The firm said the new unit is intended to respond to client demand for assistance with both preparation for and response to cyber, privacy, and regulatory issues. The first component of WK Advisory is a Cyber, Data, and Technology (CDT) Advisory practice. The practice will focus on risks associated with cyber security, privacy regulation, and operational resilience, and will operate alongside Wotton Kearney’s insurance and risk legal teams. Its activities will extend across the risk cycle, from pre-incident planning to incident management.
To lead the CDT Advisory practice, Wotton Kearney has appointed Matt O’Keefe as head of advisory – cyber, data, and technology. Based in Melbourne, O’Keefe has more than 25 years’ experience advising boards and executive teams in the Asia-Pacific region on cyber risk, technology governance, and digital strategy. He previously served as KPMG’s Asia Pacific cyber security leader and was a member of KPMG’s global cyber leadership team. He will work closely with former Deloitte cyber specialist Josh Simonis.
Chief executive partner David Kearney said the advisory business reflects shifts in client needs as technology and regulation change operating environments. “Wotton Kearney is evolving. For more than two decades, we’ve worked hard to build Asia-Pacific’s leading insurance and risk legal business. But we’ve never stopped looking for new ways to assist our clients. This announcement signals our ongoing expansion from an insurance and risk dispute resolution firm to an insurance and risk legal and advisory business – with capabilities designed to complement and elevate our core strengths. Clients are facing increasingly complex risk environments, particularly in cyber, data, and regulatory compliance. WK Advisory enables us to support clients earlier in the risk lifecycle and provide a genuine end-to-end service. Cyber, Data, and Technology is the first step in our advisory business expansion, and there will be further advisory pillar announcements to the benefit of our clients as business risks continue to expand,” Kearney said.
O’Keefe said the new practice is intended to address growing expectations on boards and executives in relation to cyber risk. “I’m excited by the opportunity for entrepreneurialism at Wotton Kearney. Having grown the practice at KPMG over the past 25 years to more than 1,500 people in 12 countries, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunities available in such a dynamic environment. Regulatory obligations continue to elevate board and executive responsibility. Organisations are no longer asking whether a cyber incident will occur, but when,” O’Keefe said. Founded in 2002, Wotton Kearney now has 100 partners and more than 500 legal professionals across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand.
