Leading broker expands in Europe, attracts top talent from Willis

Another UK-based international insurance broker has announced entry into the Dutch market within the span of a week.

Lloyd’s of London broker Oneglobal recently launched its Dutch operations, led by a senior hire from Aon.

Now, Howden is set to begin a major expansion in the Netherlands with the hiring of two senior executives from Willis. The move is part of its growth strategy in Europe.

The broker has hired Jeroen Everling from Willis to lead its Dutch business as chief executive officer (CEO) of Netherlands, Corporate.

Most recently, Everling held the role of head of Benelux Corporate Risk and Broking at Willis for the last seven years and chair of the statutory board. He previously held senior roles with Aon and Marsh, leading teams delivering cross-class solutions for major international, industrial and agricultural clients.

In his new role, Everling will be tasked to build a specialist team to serve Howden's mid and large domestic and international clients. Howden already has a specialist marine operation with a corporate portfolio in Rotterdam, led by Jan Oosterom.

Additionally, the broker has hired Dolf Balink from Willis, where he has spent the last fifteen years of his career, latterly as director of placement and claims, Netherlands.  Prior to that, he spent 13 years with Marsh in claims leadership roles, having begun his career with Sedgwick in 1993.

The move follow the recent appointments of Luigi Sturani as CEO Europe; Enrico Nanni as CCO Europe; Felix Jenny as CEO Switzerland; Holger Schaefer as CEO Germany; the acquisition of Scagliarini and launch of operations in Italy; and the acquisition of ARTAI in Spain. They will join Howden subject to fulfilment of their contractual obligations.

José Manuel González (pictured), Group CEO of Howden Broking, said: “We set out a clear vision to invest in Europe and become the alternative for talent and clients in the region. But we are not in a rush. We know that shared values build long-term value, and we wait for the right time and the right people. When we met Jeroen we knew he was the right person to build a standout Corporate team in the Netherlands and I look forward to seeing the difference I know he and his team will make to clients.”

Luigi Sturani, CEO Europe at Howden Broking, added: “That Jeroen and Dolf have chosen to join us serves as further confirmation of my belief that Howden is the right platform for those talents who want to do business in an environment where everyone is pulling in the same direction to build something special for each other and our clients; and we are busy enjoying the journey.”

Commenting on his appointment, Everling said: “After nearly 25 years in this market it is a new beginning for both of us. The opportunity to build a business with a different outlook is an incredibly exciting one for me and a new dynamic for a market that I love. Howden’s combination of an empowered culture, a commitment to developing deep specialty capabilities, and international scale mean that we can build a values-led business that is better for corporate clients and a breath of fresh air for talent. I am looking forward to starting that journey in a Group where there is freedom to thrive.”

Oosterom commented: “I have lived and breathed this market for 33 years, the last eight with Howden building our leading marine business. I know what we can do here with a different approach and I am delighted to welcome Jeroen and Dolf, who I have grown up alongside in the industry, to help us write our story.”

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