Willis expands Global Property & Casualty placement hubs with the addition of Dubai and Madrid
Willis Direct & Facultative (D&F) has announced the expansion of its Global Property & Casualty (P&C) placement hubs with the addition of Dubai and Madrid as new strategic locations.
This expansion strengthens Willis’ global reach and provides clients with access to the global insurance market through a single point of contact, supported by strong product, placement, analytics and claims expertise to secure competitive and creative cover for clients.
Operating as one global D&F team, this structure enables Willis to match the right risk to the right market through the right broker—whether local, wholesale or Facultative—while delivering efficient, coordinated access to more than 400 insurance markets worldwide.
Our enhanced Wholesale market hubs now span London, Madrid, Bermuda, Miami, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong and Shanghai, alongside our local Facultative hubs in every region around the world.
Garret Gaughan, Global Head of Direct & Facultative at Willis said: “We’re delighted to announce the addition of two further global hubs. We recognise that clients are increasingly seeking to complement traditional market access with the competitive advantages offered by emerging and established international marketplaces. Expanding our global hubs enables us to meet this demand, positioning us closer to the talent, expertise and cultural dynamics that define these local markets. Madrid naturally strengthens our connectivity with Latin America, while Dubai enhances our reach across the broader Middle East region. By deepening our global footprint and strengthening cross‑market collaboration, we ensure clients benefit from the most competitive, future‑focused solutions available, wherever they are in the world”.
Eleni Lykoudi, Head of CEEMEA said: “We are delighted to announce the new D&F Property and Casualty offering in Dubai. This reflects our commitment to strengthening our regional presence, enhancing service capabilities for our clients and supporting long-term growth. This matches the extensive opportunity we see across the CEEMEA region.”
Ivan Sainz, Head of Spain said: “The expansion of the global hub in Madrid enables us to further support clients by drawing on insight and experience from across industries and geographies. Applying lessons learned in one market to challenges emerging in another strengthens our ability to respond to complex and evolving risk needs. This reflects the significance of the Madrid and broader Spanish marketplace and how it will be a critical international access point of the future.”
MS Amlin Underwriting Limited appoints Vipul Gupta as Senior Executive Officer in Dubai
MS Amlin Underwriting Limited (MS AUL), the Lloyd’s global specialty (re)insurer, today announces the appointment of Vipul Gupta as Senior Executive Officer (SEO) in Dubai, subject to regulatory approval. Gupta has held the role on an interim basis since July 2021 and reports to Johan Slabbert, Chief Executive Officer, with a secondary reporting line to Andrew Carrier, Chief Underwriting Officer.
With more than 13 years of experience in the London and Middle East North Africa (MENA) markets, Gupta has been a key member of the MS Amlin MENA underwriting team since 2015, where he joined as a Senior Underwriter for War, Terrorism & Political Risk.
Prior to joining MS Amlin, Gupta was the Divisional Director for Willis’ MENA region, including the Indian sub-continent, for three years. He began his career at J.B. Boda UK as a Reinsurance Broker in 2008.
Johan Slabbert, Chief Executive Officer, MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd, commented: “I am delighted that Vipul will take the Senior Executive Officer role permanently, highlighting our ability to not only attract and retain the highest calibre of talent, but also provide progression opportunities. Since joining the business in 2015, he has been a crucial member of the MENA team, continually proving his deep cross-border expertise and strong leadership skills.”
Andrew Carrier, Chief Underwriting Officer, MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd, commented: “I am very pleased Vipul has accepted this Executive position. Placing a practicing, senior underwriting leader into this role helps to increase the momentum for us in the region, and I am confident that Vipul’s appointment and the long-standing relationships he brings will be critical as we continue to build out and develop our MENA platform.”
MS Amlin hires RSA marine expert Vogiatzidou for Dubai operations
Re/insurer MS Amlin -a subsidiary of Japanese giant MS&AD- has appointed Mary Vogiatzidou as senior marine underwriter, based out of the carrier’s Dubai office.
Vogiatzidou will be responsible for the growth of MS Amlin’s marine business across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
She reports to David Overall, senior executive officer of MS Amlin MENA.
“We are delighted to welcome Mary to the team,” explained David Overall.
“Her experience, specialist knowledge and talent will be key as we continue to serve the needs of our clients and brokers across the MENA region,” he added.
With more than 19 years of experience in both re/insurance and broking, as well as specialist expertise in the marine market, Vogatzidou most recently served as a senior hull underwriter in RSA Group’s marine division. Prior to this, she served as a senior broker for marine and energy at Meridian Risk Solutions Ltd, based in London and Athens. She has also held roles as a marine and energy broker and reinsurance technician at Newman Martin and Buchan Ltd.