Davies has appointed Mike Heard as president of operations – North America, expanding his leadership role within the company’s regional structure.
He will report directly to Dhara Patel, CEO of Davies’ North American division.
Heard, who joined Davies in May 2024 as chief operating officer of its Life & Health division, will now lead day-to-day back-office operations across North America. His responsibilities include driving operational integration, scaling service delivery and contributing to the firm’s broader generative AI strategy.
Heard’s appointment comes as Davies continues its push to expand technology adoption and streamline operations. In May 2025, the firm secured £275 million in new credit facilities to support investment in GenAI, automation, and global M&A activity. The funding aligns with its Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to enhance efficiency and expand its presence across North America, APAC, and EMEA.
In a statement, Heard said: “I’m thrilled to take on the role of President of Operations for our North American market. I’m eager to build on the strong foundation we have, develop our operational strategy further and deliver greater value to our clients through faster, smarter and more responsive operations.
“In particular, I’m excited to be part of Davies’ automation and generative AI strategy in the North American market, to further boost efficiency and unlock new possibilities for us to innovate. I look forward to collaborating with our talented teams to help shape the future of Davies and position us as a leader in both operations and technology,” he added.
Commenting on the promotion, Patel said: “This promotion reflects Mike’s outstanding contributions to our business over the past year. Mike will join our executive team with a focus on centralization and leading the company’s back-office operations. This hire supports our ongoing push to standardize processes, increase efficiency and further innovate across our organization.
“Mike will also play a key role in the development of Davies North America’s automation and GenAI strategy for the North American division, to support our focus on leveraging technology to transform its operational capabilities and deliver exceptional value to customers.”
Heard will be part of the North American executive team as Davies continues to evolve its technology-led service model.
