Allianz, Cover-More, Markel, and Thomas Carroll Group have announced appointments in the UK.
Graham Wright (pictured immediately below) is joining Allianz UK in December to serve as managing director of home insurance within the insurer’s personal lines business.
Reporting to personal lines MD Serge Raffard, Wright will collaborate with managing directors Henry Topham (retail) and Nicola George (broker) to support Allianz’s goal of expanding its presence in the UK home insurance market.
Cover-More Group, an expert in travel and speciality insurance, has picked Ben Wooltorton to lead its UK operations.
The new UK managing director joined Cover-More five years ago when the group acquired Halo Insurance Services, where Wooltorton was chief operating officer and a founding team member. Since 2022, he has served as chief marketing officer for Europe, a position he will maintain alongside his new responsibilities as MD.
“I’m excited to begin this new challenge,” Wooltorton commented. “We have excellent brands, market-leading insurance products, and an exceptional team that it’s an honour to work with every day. At Cover-More, we offer many established flagship products in the UK, across different insurance verticals, both under our own brands and through distribution partnerships.
“We have great strengths in digital marketing, first-class technology platforms, and a passionate operations team, who really focus on delivering for our customers. I can’t wait to begin this next stage of my career with Cover-More.”
At Markel, London-based Rhys O’Neill (pictured immediately below) has assumed the role of senior underwriter for marine & energy liability in the international specialty unit.
O’Neill’s new responsibilities include executing top-tier underwriting strategies for both renewing and new business within Markel’s marine & energy liability international wholesale portfolio. In addition, he will focus on maintaining strong relationships with clients, partners, and internal teams.
The key hire most recently served as a marine liability underwriter at QBE, where he managed a portfolio covering a range of marine liability risks. Prior to that, O’Neill spent nearly nine years at The Standard Club, focussing on European business. His career in insurance began in 2012 at RGL Forensics.
Thomas Carroll Group has promoted two leaders following its transition to an employee ownership trust (EOT) in December 2023.
Gareth Cotty (pictured above, right), formerly managing director of Thomas Carroll Brokers, was named group chief commercial officer, while Sarah Edwards (pictured above, left) stepped into the role of group chief financial officer after serving as financial director.
Cotty, who has been with Thomas Carroll for 21 years, previously worked at RSA, HSBC, and Marsh. He became sales director in 2012 before being appointed managing director of Thomas Carroll Brokers in 2018. In his new C-suite role, Cotty will focus on driving growth and revenue while ensuring a continued emphasis on customer service and product innovation.
Edwards, who joined the company in 2006 as an account assistant, has also had a significant career progression. She played a crucial role in overseeing Thomas Carroll’s transition to employee ownership. Now, as CFO, Edwards will oversee the company’s financial stability while supporting the board through its strategic growth plans.
“Without Sarah, I don’t think that our transition to become an EOT would have happened as smoothly as it did,” chief executive Rhys Thomas highlighted. “She led from the front, with enthusiasm and precision, and I know she will do the same in her new role as CFO.
“Gareth has been the main driver in the amazing success of our broker business over the past six years, so it was a given that he would lead Thomas Carroll’s commercial growth plans for the coming decades. Gareth knows this company inside and out, and so I know he will excel in this role and continue with our commercial success.”
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Wright is making the switch from 
