Gallagher poaches senior Aon executive to head up reinsurance unit amid reshuffle

Gallagher has poached one of Aon’s senior executives to head up its reinsurance business,  Gallagher Re.

Tom Wakefield will become chief executive officer of its reinsurance business, Gallagher Re, subject to regulatory approval. He will take over the role from current CEO Simon Behagg who will transition to the new role of managing director of Gallagher Re.

Wakefield joins Gallagher after a 17-year tenure at Aon, where he was latterly COO for the Global Re Marine, Specialty and Composite business and led the broker’s book of marine composite reinsurance business, as well as being UK ‘Growth Leader’ for reinsurance solutions.

As CEO of Gallagher Re, Wakefield will be responsible for leading the ongoing expansion of Gallagher’s reinsurance operations and will work closely with Behagg and the wider senior management team to continue to drive the business’ ambitious growth agenda. Wakefield will join Gallagher’s UK Executive Team reporting to CEO, Simon Matson.

Matson, CEO of Gallagher’s broking and underwriting businesses in Europe, Middle East & Asia, said: “The evolution journey that sits behind  Gallagher Re since its inception in 2013 is quite incredible. Since becoming a fully-owned part of Gallagher in 2020, the business has continued to deliver on its aggressive growth trajectory, latterly under Simon’s leadership, and continued to attract a wealth of reinsurance talent, including Tom, on to the team.

“We are delighted to now have Tom step into the role of CEO at a time when Gallagher Re is set to embark on the most exciting chapter yet in the business’ remarkable growth story. However, while the Willis Re transaction progresses through the required regulatory processes, our focus remains on driving forward our existing Gallagher Re business strategy with Tom at the helm.”

Wakefield said: “ Gallagher Re’s rise from a start-up challenger brand to a world-class and highly-respected reinsurance broker is something that I have long admired. I am excited to be joining such an innovative and entrepreneurial organisation and look forward to working alongside this hugely talented group of people to drive forward the business’ growth agenda and further expand and enhance our client offering.”

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