Howden builds out international legal capabilities; hires ex-Ardonagh

Global insurance broker  Howden Group has created a new role of chief corporate and legal affairs officer and hired a new group general counsel as it looks to build out its international legal capabilities.

Will Bloomer (pictured) will assume the role with main focus on major, complex corporate initiatives and developments. Meanwhile, Frances Coats will join the company as group general counsel to lead the international legal team, reporting to Bloomer.

Howden said that following the build out of its legal team, a chief counsel covering M&A has been appointed to bring additional and specific focus on the group’s strategic deal activity.

Bloomer has held the role of group general counsel since 2013, having joined Howden Group in March 2012 as corporate and legal director. He is a member of the group’s executive committee. Prior to that, he spent 12 years with Heath Lambert (later Gallagher Heath) as general counsel and compliance director. He began his career as a solicitor with Cameron McKenna in London and Hong Kong.

Coats, who will join the Howden Broking and DUAL Group executive committees, has both in-house and private practice experience leading teams in industries from technology and insurance to litigation finance, and in a number of jurisdictions.

Most recently, Coats was European general counsel for insurtech bolttech, and she was previously chief counsel, corporate and commercial at The Ardonagh Group. She has held leadership positions at Tesco and Kraft Foods and began her legal career at White and Case in London and Tokyo before stints at Latham and Watkins and Clifford Chance in London and the Middle East.

Howden Group CEO David Howden said: “Since the beginning of 2015 our Enterprise Value has increased by seven times, and our EBITDA has increased by five times.  During the same period our share price has quadrupled and we now have five times as many employee shareholders. Indeed even in the last 18 months we have completed our largest acquisition as well a number of strategic acquisitions around the world, welcomed Hg to the Group as a long-term investor, significantly increased our talent base, and delivered our most successful internal share offer; Will has been central to the execution of these initiatives.”

He added: “Our scale, reach and relevance, and a competitive backdrop that presents us with an incredible opportunity to attract those who want to help us build something different for clients in a unique culture together, mean that the future will be busy! To this end, we must continue to enhance our ability to move with speed and precision whilst managing an increasing number of projects, and we will do this by investing further in our capabilities and infrastructure.  With Will’s commercial agility, supported by the addition of new talent in Frances, the legal team will continue to play a central role in the Group’s success.”

Bloomer said: “I am incredibly proud of the team we have built here and the part we have played in building the Group to what it is today. As well as the many internal promotions, attracting a Group General Counsel of Frances’ quality - as recognised by her legal peers - is so good for us, as well as being evidence of the excitement building around the opportunities we have to do something different in the industry. She brings a commercial eye and a breadth and depth of legal experience that, in combination, mean she will bring a fresh dynamic to our endeavours.”

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