A series of senior appointments have been announced across the UK and EMEA insurance and claims markets, underlining continued investment in leadership, operations and talent as firms position for growth.
Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group, has appointed Lee Dainty (pictured, left) as chief operations officer for its UK business, effective April 7, 2026.
As UK COO, Dainty will lead Markel's push for operational excellence, focusing on how brokers and customers are served and ensuring continued investment in key capabilities.
Dainty, who has more than 30 years of experience, was vice president, commercial claims for the past seven years at Intact and RSA prior to its acquisition. He will be a member of Markel's UK executive team, reporting to Mooney.
McLarens has announced that Louise Butcher (pictured, right) has joined the EMEA senior management board as executive director, effective April 1.
Butcher joined the company three years ago, establishing significant cross‑market opportunities and contributing to the firm’s broader strategic development. She will continue to lead forensic accounting across the region while assuming executive responsibility for selected strategic initiatives and growth programmes.
The company has also confirmed that David Gillan, executive director, will retire from his role at the end of April 2026, in line with longstanding plans. After nearly two decades with the firm, Gillan intends to take a short break before returning in a consultancy capacity.
Brown & Brown (Europe) has appointed Peter Jackson as director of talent acquisition.
Jackson joins from Hanover, where he was a partner in the financial services practice, leading senior executive search projects across EMEA insurance and P&C specialty. With more than two decades of executive search experience, he specialises in senior appointments across finance, risk, technology, operations and regulatory functions within the global insurance market.
He began his career as a Lloyd’s broker and brings first‑hand market insight and an understanding of the leadership skills needed to succeed in a fast‑changing, technology‑ and regulation‑led environment. He has developed an extensive international network and has delivered assignments across the UK, Europe, the US and Asia‑Pacific.
