Major organisations across the insurance and technology sectors have announced senior leadership appointments. Howden Group has named Susan Panuccio (pictured) as group chief financial officer and Mark Craig as chief investment officer. The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA) has appointed Shaun Hobbs as qualifications manager, while Duck Creek Technologies has announced Hardeep Gulati as its new chief executive officer.
Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, appointed Panuccio as group chief financial officer, effective January 6, 2026. She will join the Howden Group board.
The company noted Panuccio brings over 30 years of experience in global financial leadership, including more than two decades with News Corp, where she served as chief financial officer for eight years and was part of the leadership team overseeing the company’s digital transformation and expansion.
Prior to News Corp, she held senior positions in the UK and Australia and began her career with KPMG.
“I am delighted that in Susan we have found an incredibly well-respected group CFO with sharp commercial acumen, rich experience of transformation and growth in a US-listed global company, and a personal and collegiate approach to building a business,” said David Howden, CEO of Howden.
Panuccio said: “After a fantastic 20 years with News Corp, the opportunity to join Howden in this next ambitious chapter is genuinely exciting. David and the leadership team’s energy and passion really stood out.”
Mark Craig, who has served as group CFO since 2019, will move in the new role of chief investment officer.
The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA) has appointed Hobbs as qualifications manager to support the Institute’s ongoing education and governance reforms.
The institute highlighted that Hobbs previously led curriculum strategy at the International Board for IT Governance Qualifications, managing over 30 qualifications and 10,000 examinations annually. His appointment comes as CILA seeks to widen its membership and modernise its qualifications framework.
“Professional qualifications have always been central to CILA’s mission,” said John Bissell, executive director of CILA. “Shaun’s expertise will help us deliver the reforms we have committed to, ensuring our qualifications remain rigorous, relevant, and recognised internationally.”
Hobbs commented: “Professional development, including both technical and human skills, is fundamental to building public trust in the claims process. I am delighted to join CILA at a time of significant change.”
In the United States, Duck Creek Technologies has named Gulati as chief executive officer, succeeding Mike Jackowski, who becomes vice chair of the board of directors.
According to the company, Gulati has nearly three decades of experience in technology leadership, most recently serving as CEO of PowerSchool, where he helped scale it into a major cloud-based software provider.
“Duck Creek already powers many of the world’s leading P&C insurers, and we’re uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of AI insurance innovation,” Gulati said.
Jackowski stated: “This is the right moment for Hardeep to take the reins, and I’m confident he will guide Duck Creek to even greater success.”
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