Guy Carpenter has named Richard Hakes as its new global head of marine, energy and technical lines (METL). Hakes will report to James Boyce, CEO of Global Specialties, and join the Global Specialties leadership team.
In the role, Hakes will lead a team of nearly 100 professionals and oversee the development and execution of analytics and risk transfer services for the firm’s METL clients globally.
Hakes has more than two decades of industry experience, including 13 years with Guy Carpenter. Most recently, he led the company’s international marine business. During that time, he built out the firm's offerings in the marine and energy sectors.
The METL leadership group will also include Simon Liley as deputy global head; Brian Stroop as global specialties leader for North America and head of U.S. METL; and Nick Jay as chairman of METL.
“We are delighted to announce Richard as our new Global Head of Marine, Energy, and Technical Lines. Richard brings not only deep technical acumen but also trusted long-standing relationships with our clients. His client-first approach and dynamic leadership will drive our marine business forward,” Boyce said.
The METL unit forms part of Guy Carpenter’s Global Specialties segment, which also includes capital advisory, cyber, climate, and public sector practices.
In 2020, Guy Carpenter also launched a dedicated practice focused on mutuals, agencies, and captive clients within the marine and energy segments. This initiative brought together expertise across risk transfer, treaty structuring, and capital modeling, aiming to deliver more integrated solutions for clients with non-standard portfolios.
Hakes’ promotion is one of several recent leadership changes in Guy Carpenter’s specialties operations. The company has been reshaping its senior bench, including appointments such as Richard Chu for credit, bond and political risk; Blake Dimitrijevic in Asia-Pacific capital advisory; and Keith Wolfe as North America commercial officer.
The appointment also comes amid shifting conditions in the specialty reinsurance market. According to Guy Carpenter’s market update, capacity across marine and energy lines has shown signs of stabilization following several years of volatility.
However, underwriters remain cautious in certain subsegments, with pricing and terms still influenced by geopolitical risks, climate exposure, and capital deployment constraints.
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