Howden snares Allianz veteran as CEO of German businesses

International insurance broker  Howden has hired a long-serving senior executive from Allianz as it seeks to develop a strong presence in the German market through strategic acquisitions, organic growth and investment in talent.

Holger Schaefer has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Germany, which is an important market for Howden.

Schaefer will join Howden in September after more than 30 years working for the Allianz Group. He latterly held international roles as regional CEO for Asia Pacific for Euler Hermes since 2016 and previously CEO of Allianz’s Corporate and Specialty business in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to that, he was part of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, Germany for 20 years, where he held senior positions in underwriting and sales, managing multinational clients.

In his new role, Schaefer will lead Howden’s operations in Germany including Euroassekuranz, Hendricks, Howden Caninenberg and Himmelseher. He will also focus on strategic acquisitions of other culturally aligned companies, and investing in talent and digital transformation.

The news follows the recent appointments of Felix Jenny as CEO of Switzerland, and Luigi Sturani and Enrico Nanni as CEO and CCO of Europe, respectively.

José Manuel González, CEO of Howden Broking, said: “I am delighted to welcome Holger to the group, who will lead our continuing expansion in the German market, building on the success we have delivered there so far and taking it to the next level.

"Our ambition is to be one of the top three brokers in key markets across Europe through strategic acquisitions, organic growth and investment in talent. Holger’s appointment shows that we are consistently delivering on our plan and we are proud that he has chosen to join us.”

Schaefer commented: “ Howden is delivering on its strategy for growth and I’m delighted to be part of it.  Howden’s ‘People First’ approach and culture of employee ownership is appealing to both clients – from SMEs, through to mid-market firms and multinationals – and also talent looking for a credible alternative in a consolidating broker market.”

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