Philipsz will be tasked with overseeing the company’s operations across both countries, with a focus on expanding the reinsurance, MGA, and capital advisory segments.
Philipsz steps into the role previously held by Stuart Beatty, who led Howden Re’s regional operations for five years.
Beatty is reducing his leadership responsibilities but will remain with the company, collaborating with Stephen Greener on program and MGA initiatives.
Philipsz joins from Lockton Advisory, where he served as CEO, and brings more than 25 years of experience in reinsurance and capital markets. His past roles include leadership positions in both advisory and investment functions at global institutions.
His appointment comes at a time when Howden Re is aiming to increase its footprint in Australasia. The firm sees growth opportunities in cross-border reinsurance solutions and in the evolving MGA space, where intermediary-led models are expanding.
Philipsz will report to Andy Souter, head of Asia-Pacific at Howden Re International, who stated that Philipsz’s appointment is aligned with Howden Re’s regional strategy.
“I am delighted to welcome John to Howden Re. His appointment reflects our ambition to build a truly differentiated platform in Australia and New Zealand – one that combines deep local insight with global capability and that delivers specialist solutions across reinsurance, MGA, and capital advisory. This market presents a clear opportunity for innovation and investment, particularly at the intersection of risk and capital, and John’s experience makes him ideally placed to lead this next phase,” Souter said.
Beatty, who remains involved with the business, will focus on strategic advisory within the MGA and program segments.
Commenting on his appointment, Philipsz said: “The opportunity to build a future-focused platform, delivering Howden Re’s multi-disciplinary capabilities in a region that embraces innovation is hugely exciting. I look forward to working with the team to expand our presence and deliver solutions that help our clients grow and thrive.”
The appointment follows a year of significant growth for Howden Group. For the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024, the group posted £3.01 billion in adjusted revenue, reflecting a 23% increase over the prior year. Organic revenue growth was reported at 15%, while adjusted EBITDA reached £922.2 million, with an EBITDA margin of 31%.
Howden’s reinsurance division recorded 30% organic growth, while MGA operations grew by 6%, and insurance broking saw a 14% increase.
Growth drivers included expansion into treaty reinsurance, MGA programs, aviation, and entertainment sectors. The firm also increased its presence in key markets including Australia, Greece, Singapore, and Japan.
