RFIB Group Ltd, the Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker, has officially opened its office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a reception at the British Embassy in Riyadh. This follows RFIB Saudi Arabia Ltd being granted an intermediary license by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to conduct insurance and reinsurance business earlier this year.
The new office, located at the Tawuniya Towers building in Riyadh is headed by Anthony Harris, General Manager, who has worked for RFIB in the Middle East region since February 2006 and is a former British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
Anthony, who has served in the Kingdom twice before in various capacities, works alongside Deputy General Manager Naji Al Tamimi, a Saudi national and highly regarded insurance professional who has previous experience of managing high profile accounts.
Anthony Harris comments: “The reception at the British Embassy was an ideal way to celebrate the opening of the new office with our clients, our Saudi partner Bassam Al Dhabaan, many industry contacts, RFIB Group’s Chairman Lord Hodgson and Adrian Spooner, the Group’s Managing Director for Middle East business.”
“The reception was well attended by Saudi nationals and many of our clients from both Dammam and Jeddah in the Eastern and Western Provinces of the Kingdom, in addition to all the key insurance companies in Riyadh.”
RFIB announces that Marshall King will be leaving the company to pursue another challenge. With immediate effect, Jonathan Turnbull, currently Group Chief Financial Officer, will take up the position of CEO. Jonathan’s appointment will be on an interim basis while RFIB works with the FSA regarding his permanent appointment.
Robin Hodgson, Chairman of RFIB said:
“Marshall has done an excellent job over the last two years strengthening the Group’s operating and management systems. However, I recognise that this time provides a natural break in our development and respect Marshall’s decision to want to move on to a new challenge.
“With more than 20 years’ experience in the Lloyd’s market, including three years at RFIB, Jonathan Turnbull is an ideal successor to build on the foundations Marshall has laid. “RFIB continues to go from strength to strength, opening international offices in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this year, as well as launching a new retail broker with local partners in Russia. We also continue to invest in new capabilities including global facultative property, aviation and captive reinsurance and our results for the first quarter to 30 September are ahead of budget and ahead of last year.”
Jonathan Turnbull’s successor will be Nigel Cotton who will be joining RFIB on 1 November 2011 as the company’s Finance Director, subject to the FSA approving his appointment. He joins us from Willis where he held a number of senior operational and finance roles in recent years. Nigel will give us the necessary management bandwidth to grow the business.
Marshall King said "Over the last two years RFIB has largely completed its transition from being a collection of niche broking businesses to a unified company offering a wide and integrated set of services to its many clients. I'm proud to have led that transition, but with that largely completed, I would now like to take my career in another direction, and it is a natural point to hand over to Jonathan Turnbull, who has been a hugely supportive CFO and I am sure will be a successful CEO in leading the firm through its next stage of evolution."
RFIB Group Ltd, the Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker, has recruited Nick Burn to further strengthen its Global Property and Construction Direct, Wholesale and Facultative business. Nick Burn joins as Director of International Property and Construction, and will work alongside Richard MacFarlane who has recently been recruited as the head of this newly created business area.
Nick was previously Director of Global Markets International at Willis, and before this he worked at HSBC as a Managing Director of International Property.
Commenting on the appointment, Simon Barnes, Director, RFIB International said:
“RFIB has identified Global Property and Construction Direct, Wholesale and Facultative as a key and important part of our strategy to grow our non-marine business. Nick was a founding director of the International Property Company at HSBC and his experience will prove invaluable to the development of this portfolio. I greatly look forward to working with Nick.”
RFIB Group Ltd, the Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker, has identified Global Property and Construction (GPC) Direct, Wholesale and Facultative business as an area in which it wishes to offer clients additional services. It has therefore recruited Richard MacFarlane as head of this newly created business area.
Richard will join from Glencairn Limited (after fulfilling contractual obligations) and will be tasked with building a team of experienced professionals. The team will sit within RFIB’s International division reporting to Simon Barnes.
Commenting on the appointment, Simon Barnes said: “RFIB intends to build a first rate team to catapult us into the premier league in Global Property and Construction re/insurance. This is a key element in our strategy to grow our Global non-marine business by adding new lines to our existing services. The appointment of Richard MacFarlane and further future hires will enable us to make an immediate impression in this important area.”
RFIB Group Limited, the international Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker, announces the appointment of Andrew Hutchings as Divisional Director in RFIB International. Andrew takes up his new position on 10 December 2011 in the highly successful Cargo Division within RFIB International.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the cargo arena and joins RFIB Group from Price Forbes & Partners where he has worked predominantly on developing solutions for a variety of US based clients. Prior to this, he worked at Marsh and Sedgwick. He has earned himself a highly valued reputation for professionalism and probity both from the London market and his clients.
Andrew’s appointment further strengthens RFIB’s established cargo division and he will assist in the continued expansion of this area through new product development and geographical diversification.
Stephen J Hirst, Managing Director RFIB International, said: “Andrew brings substantial experience to RFIB. He is a top quality hire with an excellent reputation in the market place and we believe his talents will prove invaluable as we continue to expand the Group. We are delighted to welcome Andrew to RFIB”.
RFIB Group Ltd, the Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker, has been granted an intermediary license by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to conduct insurance and reinsurance business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Group has now established an office in Riyadh headed by Anthony Harris, General Manager, former British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates who has worked for RFIB in the Middle East region since February 2006. Naji Al Tamimi, a highly regarded insurance professional and Saudi national, has been appointed Deputy General Manager. Naji was previously key accounts manager at Malath Cooperative Insurance & Reinsurance Company.
Anthony Harris comments: “RFIB has been handling reinsurance risks from the Saudi market for nearly 30 years, but our new insurance and reinsurance broking licence is the final stage in our establishing a domestic presence in this important and growing market and we would like to thank SAMA for their help in working with us to achieve this licence.
Adrian Spooner, Managing Director Middle East commented, “Naji’s appointment as Deputy General Manager has been invaluable in establishing our new office in Riyadh. His long experience in the market and extensive contacts will be crucial in growing our business in the Kingdom. We now intend to seek further recruits from the local market, working closely with our international team in London to aid staff training and development.”
RFIB Group (“RFIB” or the “Group”), the international Lloyd’s insurance and reinsurance broker, has appointed Neil Coldwell a Broker / Producer focusing on general aviation.
Neil started his career in aviation as a placing broker at Bain Dawes in 1978 and subsequently worked for broking houses such as Sedgwick, Willis Faber and, most recently, Chesterfield Insurance Brokers.
At RFIB he will concentrate on general aviation including Products and Airports. Working within RFIB’s International Division, he will seek to grow the aviation business organically and assist in building an aviation portfolio of business.
Marshall King, Group Chief Executive, RFIB Group said:
“Neil brings over thirty years’ aviation broking experience to RFIB. His appointment significantly enhances our offering in general aviation and will provide invaluable support to our ambitions to grow in this important sector.”
RFIB Group Ltd, the Lloyd’s insurance and re-insurance broker, has established a new retail broker in Russia. Based in Moscow, the broker, named Anglo Russian Insurance Broker and known locally as AnRu, will be managed by General Director Oksana Solomko.
Ms Solomko has considerable underwriting experience working in Russian insurance companies, including most recently as reinsurance manager for insurance company Yakor. She will be supported by Maria Vinogradova, who has experience in a number of insurance and reinsurance companies, as Deputy General Director.
AnRu is licenced to operate as both a broker and as an agent and will develop a network of agencies targeting corporate retail business. A number of agency agreements have already been signed with leading local insurance companies and it is expected that AnRu will develop rapidly in 2011.
John Metcalfe, Director International at RFIB, commented: “RFIB has been operating in Russia from the very first days of its liberalisation in 1989 and while a considerable flow of reinsurance business into the London and international markets has been created, there is a growing desire for the local market to write its own risks. Russia does not have a well developed domestic broker sector and we believe there is now a real opportunity for an independent broker who can offer local expertise with the support of established international parents.
“As well as developing and placing local retail business, AnRu has already begun to place reinsurance business from ceding companies in Europe, the Middle East, and CIS countries into the Russian reinsurance market. RFIB is committed to insurance broking in Russia and the CIS and we are very excited by the opportunities presented by this first step.”