A series of board and executive appointments have been announced across UK and European insurance firms and service providers, spanning broking, underwriting, MGAs, claims and insurtech.
Jensten Group has named David McMillan (pictured above, left) as non-executive chair of its board, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The appointment follows Bain Capital’s acquisition of Jensten, which completed on Nov. 28, 2025.
Liberty, part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has appointed David Saillen (pictured above, right) as chief underwriting officer for Europe with immediate effect. He is based in Zurich and will report to Pierre-Edouard Fraigneau, president of LSM’s European region, and Ronald Bolaños, global CUO of Liberty International Insurance.
Saillen succeeds Fraigneau, who moved into the regional president role earlier in 2025, while retaining legal and regulatory responsibilities linked to Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe. Liberty said Saillen will be responsible for underwriting performance across Europe and for delivering its Invest in Europe 2030 strategy.
Westfield Specialty has appointed Cornelia Röskau (pictured immediately above) as chief executive officer of Westfield Specialty Europe, a newly formed Europe company market that is expected to begin underwriting in April, subject to regulatory approval. She will be based in Luxembourg and report to Anthony Baldwin, president of Westfield Specialty International.
Röskau is joining from Sompo, where she has been European CEO of SI Insurance since August 2023. She previously held leadership positions at Globality Health and Groupe Henner.
Ventis, a commercial and residential real estate MGA backed by Mission, has appointed Holly Ivall (pictured immediately above, left) as lead trading SME underwriter and promoted Zoe Hughes (pictured immediately above, right) to senior underwriter. Ivall will handle referrals received via Acturis and oversee the firm’s “30-minute Acturis referral policy.”
Ventis said Ivall will also monitor inbound submissions and work on changes to its offering for clients and brokers, with responsibility for new business. She will report to Gareth Roberts, chief executive officer of Ventis.
Hughes, who has spent two years as an underwriter at Ventis, will take responsibility for management of the existing book in the UK and Ireland. Ventis said she will oversee renewals and mid-term adjustments under the timelines set out in its service level agreement.
Advanced Technology Assurance Limited (ATA) has added Loren Nickel and Brian Warren (both pictured above) to its board of directors. The company said the appointments support its plans to build a property and casualty insurance offering for businesses that own, operate, develop or manufacture advanced technologies.
Nickel leads the risk and insurance team at Alphabet and Google, and the company said he has worked on risk issues linked to AI, cloud computing and self-driving vehicles, as well as data centre growth. ATA also said Nickel led the first indemnity earthquake catastrophe bond for a corporate and has served as chairman and president of the M200 Risk Organization.
Warren previously led the risk and insurance team at Microsoft and retired after twenty-five years at the company, following nearly a decade with Allstate. ATA said his work at Microsoft included commercial and captive insurance solutions across software and intellectual property, cyber risk, life and health for employee benefits, trade credit, reinsurance and data centre construction.
ATA told brokers they can access its underwriting desks at Box 355A in Lloyd’s, describing its proposition as “highly technical, remarkably straightforward.” The company did not provide a start date for the Lloyd’s desks.
Hood Group has appointed Paul Pestell as chief financial officer as it expands its affinity insurance programme following an investment by Connection Capital. Hood said Pestell will oversee finance operations including regulatory compliance, risk management and strategic planning.
Hood also added Simon Domoney as financial controller, Ryan Stapleton as FP&A analyst and an accounts assistant, and said it plans further changes to systems and processes.
Pestell is joining from Tempcover, where he served as CFO following Connection Capital’s investment in 2017; Hood said Tempcover doubled EBITDA year on year and was sold to RVU (Confused.com) in 2022.
Addept Insurance, a legal expenses and ancillary insurance provider, has appointed Lauren Woods (pictured immediately above) as head of claims operations. The firm said Woods will lead claims across its portfolio and will work on claims innovation, supplier performance and panel management.
Woods is joining from Arc Legal Group, where she was head of home emergency. She previously worked at motor breakdown provider Call Assist.
Carbon has appointed Rebecca Ince (pictured immediately above) as chief operating officer, effective Jan. 5, 2026. Carbon said Ince will oversee day-to-day operations including technology, data, operations, compliance and risk.
Artificial Labs has appointed Elizabeth Wooliston (pictured immediately above) as chief of markets with immediate effect. The company said Wooliston will lead market engagement and work with partners on deploying its Smart Underwriting and Smart Placement tools.
Wooliston previously served as underwriting director at the Lloyd’s Market Association and was CEO of trade credit MGA Nimbla. Artificial said she also held roles at Aon, including chief broking officer for EMEA, and has held board positions at Fidelis Insurance Group, Arthur J. Gallagher UK and the Women’s FA.
