Ashby will take up the role on March 23, 2026, and will be based in New York. He will report to Richard Clapham, CEO of DUAL Group, as the company pushes to expand its footprint in what parent company Howden sees as its biggest growth market.
The appointment brings in an executive with deep experience across the US commercial insurance market. Ashby joins DUAL from Axis, where he served as chief commercial officer.
Before that, he held senior leadership roles at QBE, including head of global distribution, North America, and head of credit and surety. He brings three decades of industry experience, having started his career in the UK before building his career in the US market.
The move comes at a significant point for DUAL North America. According to the company, its US business now employs 500 people, offers more than 20 products, works with a network of more than 24,000 agents, and wrote $1 billion in gross written premium last year.
In announcing the hire, Clapham said Ashby’s commercial background and distribution expertise made him well-suited to lead the business through its next stage of development.
“Ed is a highly experienced commercial leader with a strong track record in building distribution-led businesses,” Clapham said. “He will focus on expanding our offering for our US broker network and their clients, strengthening our carrier partnerships, and creating additional capacity vehicles.”
Clapham also pointed to the underwriting bench already in place in North America, saying the business was well positioned to build on its specialty capabilities.
“With strong specialty underwriting expertise, under the leadership of Connie Germano, Jon Knouse, Andy Swindall and Brendan Keating, we have the talent and the tools to deliver the solutions our broker network and carrier partners are asking for, as we accelerate our growth ambitions in the US,” he said.
The leadership change also underscores Howden’s broader ambitions for the US market. David Howden, group CEO of Howden, described North America as the single biggest opportunity for DUAL’s future growth, particularly as the MGA and delegated authority model continues to gain traction with brokers, carriers and specialty insurance buyers.
“The US represents the single largest growth opportunity for DUAL,” Howden said. “Our ambition to accelerate our model in North America – attracting the very best underwriting talent and giving them a platform to drive innovative capacity and products to meet the needs of brokers and clients – matches the opportunity that this important market presents.”
He added: “Ed is the right person to lead DUAL North America as we work hard to deliver that ambition.”
Ashby, for his part, said DUAL’s culture, broker connectivity and carrier relationships made the opportunity attractive at a time when the market is looking for fresh solutions and new sources of capacity. He added that DUAL’s existing scale provided a strong platform for future product development.
“DUAL already has a significant broker network and a deep breadth of carrier relationships, and I can see tremendous opportunities in serving them with new products and developing innovative new capacity solutions,” Ashby said. “The market is crying out for it, and with the strength and relevance of DUAL Group as a global platform at the center, it’s a winning formula.”
The transition will also mark the end of John Johnson’s tenure leading the North American business. Johnson has served as CEO of DUAL North America since 2021 and will work alongside Ashby over the coming months to support the handover.
Clapham acknowledged Johnson’s role in building the US platform to its current scale. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John Johnson who has led DUAL North America since 2021,” he said. “John will be working closely with Ed over the next few months to ensure a seamless transition of leadership and we wish John the very best.”
Founded by David Howden in 1998, DUAL has grown into one of the largest international underwriting agencies and one of Lloyd’s largest international coverholders. The group now has more than 1,750 employees across 21 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and writes US$3.2 billion in gross written premium.
The company said its technology and data investments support the delivery of more than 70 products and services, while its distribution footprint includes 11,000 broker partners and more than 70 carrier partners globally.
