Key people

David Howden

Group CEO

David started his career as a broker at Alexander Howden in 1981. He founded the Group in 1994 originally as a wholesale broker employing just three people. He has been the fundamental driving force behind its expansion into an international insurance group offering wholesale, retail and reinsurance broking and underwriting.

As Chief Executive. David's focus is on leading the Group's M&A activities as well as directing and implementing the Group's strategic growth and direction.

Andy Bragoli

Global Head of Placement, Howden

Barnaby Rugge-Price

Chair, Howden UK&I

Barnaby was CEO of RKH Specialty, having led it successfully through the merger with Howden Group and growing the business by over 40% in three years. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the London market at RKH, JLT and Fenchurch – with particular expertise in international and North American D&F markets – and was MD of RKH’s Property & Casualty Division before becoming RKH’s CEO in 2015. He was appointed Chair of Howden Broking Group in 2020 and Deputy Chair in 2022.

Carl Shuker

CEO, Howden UK&I

Carl began his career at A-Plan in Oxford in 1981 and, after numerous roles in the business, was appointed as Deputy CEO in 2000 and CEO in 2008. He guided the business through two management buy outs and A-Plan Group's acquisition by Howden in March 2021, when he was appointed to the Group Executive Committee as CEO, Howden UK and Ireland.

Carl is ACII qualified and has an MBA from Henley Management College.

Chye Huat Goh

CEO, Howden Asia

Chye Huat joined Howden in October 2015, bringing with him over 25 years of industry experience. He was appointed as the regional CEO for Howden Asia in January 2016, where he has management and strategic oversight on its retail broking operations across six Asian countries and IPG Howden, a leading high networth life insurance broker that operates across Asia, and EMEA.

Glenn Thomas

CEO, UK Health & Employee Benefits and Global Practice Leader

Glenn is CEO of the UK Health & Employee Benefits business and Global Practice Leader. He joined the group in March 2018 to build Howden’s employee benefits business in the UK and globally.

Prior to joining Howden, Glenn was CEO of Jelf Financial Services and one of the founders of the Jelf Group. Following Jelf’s acquisition by Marsh & McLennan in 2015, he became a Partner in the Global Business Solutions division of Mercer Marsh Benefits.

Elliot Richardson

Vice Chair & Chair of International, Howden Re

Former CEO of AON Broking and now Vice Chairman of Howden Re, a Sunday Times Fast-Track company.

With 35+ years’ experience in the insurance sector, Elliot is widely regarded as a leading figure in the facultative reinsurance arena and has lead the development of some of the most successful teams in insurance. With revenues over $450mn, Howden Re employs over 750 people across 38 offices.

Previously advisor to the International Olympic Committee, served on the British Airways Global Advisory Board and as advisor to Formula 1.

Frances Coats

Group General Counsel

Kieran Sweeney

Executive Chair, DUAL Group

Kieran joined the Group when we acquired Align Financial Holdings ('Align') in 2021. Kieran, who was Founder and CEO of Align, is now Executive Chairman of DUAL Group.

He has more than 30 years of experience in managing insurance, reinsurance and general agency businesses. Before establishing Align in 2003, and Catalytic in 2013, he was president and CEO of Arrowhead General Insurance Agency in San Diego, California.

Louise Cable-Alexander

Group Chief of Staff

Louise is one of the founding members of Howden. Over the last 28 years, she has been a constant and integral member of the Group, working across Howden Broking Group, DUAL, Howden Group Services, the Howden Foundation, and now as Chief of Staff to David Howden.

Luigi Sturani

CEO, Howden Europe

Lyn Grobler

Group Chief Information Officer

Lyn Grobler joined Howden Group in January 2016. As Group CIO, she oversees all aspects of technology implementing an IT strategy to drive the business in its next phase of growth. Lyn is the chair of Howden Group Services.

Before joining Howden Group, Lyn served as Vice President and CIO of Corporate Functions at BP. Lyn is a non-exec Director on the Board of the Bank of Cyprus where she also chairs their Technology Committee.

Mark Craig

Group Chief Financial Officer

Mark has been Howden's Group CFO since January 2020. He previously led the Group's M&A team, debt capital market activity and Treasury team. Mark qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has twenty years of lending and advisory experience working in M&A, leveraged finance and debt advisory. Mark joined Howden Group from KKR where he was investing KKR's European and Global lending funds.

Mark Wood

Head of Global Specialty Practices, Chair Howden Asia Pacific, Chairman Howden Private Wealth, Deputy Chair Howden UK & Ireland

Mark joined Howden in April 2020. Prior to that, he spent 9 years at JLT where he was the Global Head of Financial Lines Group and a member of the Global Executive, and 17 years at Aon (12 of which were at Alexander Howden) where he led Aon Professional Risks and Financial Services Group.

Matt Bacon

CEO, Howden Pacific

Matt is the CEO of Howden Pacific. Originating from the UK, Matt has spent his time in the insurance industry working in a variety of management, operational, business development and underwriting roles across both broking houses and underwriters in Australia and the UK. Prior to joining Howden, Matt was the CEO of Marsh’s Mercer Marsh Benefits business in the Pacific and JLT’s People Risk Consulting business.

Paul Redgate

Deputy Chair, Howden UK&I and Chair, IMEA and LatAM

Paul joined Howden in 2015, having been at RKH since 2005. Prior to that Paul was at JLT, Lloyd Thompson and Minet. He began his career in South Africa with Anglo American Mining.

Peter Blanc

Group Head of M&A

After starting his career in motor underwriting, Peter switched to broking, and eventually led a management buy-out of the UK commercial division of Farr in 2000 which he then named FMW Risk Services Ltd. He grew this business to approximately £25m gross written premium before selling the business in December 2007 to Oval. In 2012 Peter was appointed Chief Executive of Oval and he ran the business through until its eventual sale to Arthur J. Gallagher which completed in April 2014.

In May 2015 Peter concluded a management buy-in of Aston Scott and then led the merger with Lark Group in 2017. As Group CEO, he grew the business to more than 1,600 staff operating from over 60 offices across the UK and Ireland and writing just over £1billion of gross written premium. In April 2022 Aston Lark was acquired by Howden Group Holdings and Peter became Executive Chairman of the Howden UK & Ireland business.

Peter was non-executive chairman at Hastings Insurance Services Ltd, the broker arm of Hastings Direct up until the end of 2021 and has previously served as chairman of the Large Brokers’ Advisory Board at the British Insurance Brokers Insurance Association (BIBA).

Rebecca Scott

Group Chief Risk Officer

Rebecca joined Howden in 2014 as Head of Internal Audit, taking on the role of Chief Risk Officer in 2015.

She was appointed COO of the Group in 2019, where she was responsible for working with senior management to implement the Group's strategic vision, from sustainability to our People First initiatives. In 2022, she resumed the role of Chief Risk Officer. Prior to joining Howden, Rebecca was CRO at a Lloyd's Managing Agency and a Partner at chartered accountancy firm Mazars.

Richard Clapham

CEO, DUAL Group

Richard joined DUAL Group, the underwriting arm of Howden, in 2016. With over 30 years' experience in the industry, Richard has previously lead Markel's professional indemnity division and has spent a decade at XL Catlin, where he was a member of the group underwriting board, a director of Catlin Underwriting Agency Ltd and a member of the UK executive committee.

Rob Bredahl

Vice Chair, Howden Re & Executive Chair of Howden Re Capital Markets

Rowan Douglas

CEO, Climate Risk and Resilience

Sarah Hughes

CEO, Howden Specialty

Sarah was appointed CEO of Specialty at Howden in October 2023, which encompasses the following businesses: Natural Resources, Property, Casualty, Logistics, Construction, Financial Lines Group, Sport and Entertainment, Fine Art and Specie, Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax and Contingent Risk, Credit and Political Risk, Surety, Climate Transition Risk and Real Estate.

Sarah joined Howden in 2019 as CEO of Financial Lines Group. She was previously head of JLT’s Financial Lines Group and prior to that was at Aon for 20 years where she headed the D&O, M&A and Financial Institutions teams.

In April 2024 Sarah was appointed to The London Market Group board as a representative of London & International Insurance Brokers Association (LIIBA).

Sonia Caamaño

CEO, International Growth Markets

Tim Ronda

CEO, Howden Re

Toby Pollard

Managing Director, Howden Markets

Toby Pollard is Managing Director of Howden Markets. He joined in February 2020 after over 6 years at JLT and previous to this working for Marsh in both London and New York. In his spare time, Toby enjoys supporting both Leicester City FC and Leicester Tigers.

Dominic Collins

Executive Chairman

Dominic was appointed to the Howden Board as Chairman in May 2015. He has fifty years' experience in the insurance industry and previously held the positions of Chairman at The RKH Group, Chief Executive of Lloyd Thompson and Chairman of JLT Risk Solutions, JLT UK and JLT International. He was a Director of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group from its formation in 1997.

David Howden

Group CEO

David started his career as a broker at Alexander Howden in 1981. He founded the Group in 1994 originally as a wholesale broker employing just three people. He has been the fundamental driving force behind its expansion into an international insurance group offering wholesale, retail and reinsurance broking and underwriting.

As Chief Executive. David's focus is on leading the Group's M&A activities as well as directing and implementing the Group's strategic growth and direction.

Mark Craig

Group Chief Financial Officer

Mark has been Howden's Group CFO since January 2020. He previously led the Group's M&A team, debt capital market activity and Treasury team. Mark qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has twenty years of lending and advisory experience working in M&A, leveraged finance and debt advisory. Mark joined Howden Group from KKR where he was investing KKR's European and Global lending funds.

James Parry-Crooke

Non-Executive Director

James is a Principal at CDPQ and focuses on private equity investments in the financial services sector. Prior to joining CDPQ in 2018, he was an investment banker with Rothschild & Co in London and holds a Masters in Engineering Science from Oxford University.

James joined the Howden Group Board in May 2022.

John Bernstein

Non-Executive Director

John Bernstein is a partner of sustainable investment firm Generation Investment Management, he chairs the investment committee of the growth equity business.

From 2008 to 2017, John was head of General Atlantic in Europe Middle East and Africa. John led General Atlantic’s investment in Howden Group and has been on our board since July 2013.

John holds an M.A. in economics and law from Downing College, Cambridge University, and qualified as a barrister. He is a board member of the NamibRan Nature Reserve in Namibia and chairs the Africa Council of The Nature Conservancy.

Caroline Woodworth

Non-Executive Director

Caroline Woodworth is a Managing Director at General Atlantic and focuses on investments in the firm’s Financial Services sector. Before joining General Atlantic in 2015, Caroline was a Senior Associate at J.C. Flowers & Co. in London where she focused on investments in the financial services sector. Prior to that, Caroline was an Investment Banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions group at Citigroup in New York. Caroline chairs the Sustainability Committee at Howden.

Clement B Booth

Non-Executive Director

Clem was appointed to the Howden Board in October 2015, having been involved in the insurance industry since 1974.

He was a member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE in Munich, Germany, between 2006 and 2014. Prior to joining Allianz, he was Chairman and CEO of Aon Re International based in London.

Between 1999 and 2003, he was a Member of the Board of Management of Munich Re AG in Munich. Prior to this, he was CEO of Munich Re of Africa Ltd and Chairman of Munich Mauritius Reinsurance Company, based in Johannesburg.

Clem has chaired or served on the boards of numerous companies around the world including in South Africa, Mauritius, Swaziland, Germany, France, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, United States of America, Switzerland, Australia and others.

His past chairmanships include Euler Hermes SE (France), Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty (Germany), Allianz Life of America and Firemans Fund (United States), Allianz Insurance plc (UK), New Re (then in Geneva) and Acord (Pearl River, New York). He also, until recently, served on the boards of Sanlam and Santam in South Africa.

Clem is currently member of the Supervisory Board of Munich Reinsurance Company AG in Munich, Germany. He is also involved in consulting and executive coaching.

Mark Stephen

Non-Executive Director

Mark was appointed to the Howden Group Board and Chair of the Audit Committee (later the Audit and Risk Committee) on 17 May 2018. He alsos chairs the Remuneration Committee.

Mark has over 35 years’ experience of advising and working with insurance boards, including how they adapt to the changing regulatory and business landscape. He was previously a Consulting Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he was the UK insurance industry leader. He is a chartered accountant, Non-Executive Chairman of TransRe London Limited, and is a Non-Executive Director of Openwork Holdings.

David Hodgson

Non-Executive Director

David joined the Howden Board in July 2013. He is Vice Chairman of General Atlantic, where he has been part of the investment team for over 30 years.

He serves as a director for a number of public and private companies, including Alignment Healthcare, Amherst Pierpont Securities and TriNet. David is Co-Chairman of the Board of Echoing Green, a provider of fellowship support for entrepreneurs that he helped found in 1987. He also serves as Chairman of the Boards of Trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Ralph Friedwagner

Non-Executive Director

Ralph is an Operating Partner in CDPQ’s Private Equity team.

He has over 20 years of private equity experience as an executive, investor, advisor, and board director across a range of sectors, including financial services, business services, technology, and industrials. Prior to joining CDPQ, he was a Director and Operating Partner at Montagu Private Equity, CEO of a private equity-backed European infrastructure provider, Partner at Bain & Company, and start-up entrepreneur and investor.

Ralph holds a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley, and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School.

Ralph joined the Howden Group Board in November 2020.

Kelly Lyles

Non-Executive Director

Kelly was appointed to the Howden Group Board in July 2021.

She brings over 35 years of industry experience and a strong global perspective.

Kelly began her career with AIG in New York before moving to London and Paris where she held multiple leadership roles, with responsibility across EMEA. From AIG, she moved to XL Catlin where she was a member of the Group Leadership Team, responsible for managing the insurer’s presence around the world, a role that she continued when XL merged with AXA.

Andrew Land

Non-Executive Director

Andrew is a Partner at Hg and joined the Howden Group Board in 2021. He leads software and services investments in the financial services sector, with a focus on insurance. He has more than 20 years’ experience in private equity, having started his investing career at DLJ in 1999. He was previously a member of the Credit Suisse Financial Institutions Group.