Norton recently joined Liberty Specialty Markets where she will oversee strategic partnerships and support the continued development of financial lines and transactional risk capabilities. Norton previously spent over 17 years at Chubb and recently returned to London from Singapore. She is a recognized insurance leader with an established London market foundation and extensive experience across specialty and financial lines, underwriting governance and complex risk leadership. Norton has a legal background and experience in claims and litigation and 20+ years of global insurance experience.

Winsee Cheung, Divisional Director of Delegated Authority Practice, Liberty Specialty Markets said: “I am delighted to welcome Tressie to the delegated authority team. Her extensive expertise across financial lines, coupled with her legal knowledge, means she will be a significant addition to our underwriting team as we continue to grow and develop and is evidence of our ability to attract industry talent to our organisation.

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Their appointments follow a period of unprecedented growth for HWF’s tax and insurance practice, which over the past 18 months has significantly extended its geographic reach, appointing dedicated tax leads in Italy, Central and Eastern Europe and Spain.

Cook brings more than 30 years of experience in tax, structured finance and transaction origination, including advising on the tax aspects of acquisitions, disposals and complex cross-border transactions. In addition to senior roles at Chase Manhattan, BNP Paribas and Citigroup, Cook spent 15 years as managing director, global co-head of structured solutions at Societe Generale. At HWF, he will be responsible for business origination and the structuring and development of solutions for tax liability and related risks. 

Burquier will lead the tax insurance solutions business in the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa region bringing more than 15 years of experience in M&A tax from Deloitte, Gibson Dunn and CMS. She has a strong track record advising on high value M&A transactions, joint ventures, and the tax structuring of investment funds, with a particular focus on cross border deals. She will support clients and advisers in navigating complex tax risks with commercial insight and technical rigour.

Tim Dobbing, Head of Tax at HWF, said: “I am delighted to welcome Stuart and Panayiota, both exceptionally high-calibre specialists, to HWF. Panayiota’s experience, network and entrepreneurial approach make her ideally suited to build our tax insurance proposition across the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa region – a major contributor to HWF’s recent expansion. Stuart’s extensive global finance sector experience will also be invaluable, supporting growth by raising awareness among the structured finance community, which has historically been underserved by the transactional risk market. Investing in specialist leadership across key jurisdictions signifies our confidence in both the product’s growth potential and our own.”

Conduit Holdings, the ultimate parent company of Conduit Re, a Bermuda-based multi-line reinsurance business, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Pickering as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with effect from 30 November 2026. Mark will join the Board of Conduit Holdings as an Executive Director.

Mark brings nearly 25 years of experience in the reinsurance industry to Conduit. In his role as CFO, Mark will be responsible for collaborating on Conduit’s strategy, leading Conduit’s capital management activities, and financial reporting, as well as overseeing Conduit’s investment portfolio.

Mark joins Conduit from Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited, where he served as Group CFO and Treasurer. He spent eleven years at Aspen, where he held roles of increasing responsibility. Mark joined Aspen in 2015 as Group Treasurer and later became CFO and CEO of Aspen Bermuda Limited, and Group Chief Capital Management Officer. Following his appointment as Group CFO, Mark played a leading role in Aspen’s initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2025 and its subsequent acquisition by Sompo, completed in February 2026.

Prior to joining Aspen, Mark held senior roles at Platinum Underwriters and Marsh McLennan. Mark is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Associate in Reinsurance (ARe).

Neil Eckert, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Mark to Conduit. He brings extensive experience across the global reinsurance market and a strong track record of financial leadership. His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to develop the business and execute our long-term strategy. We look forward to the contribution he will make as a member of our Executive team and Board.”

Mark Pickering added: “I am thrilled to join Conduit and look forward to working with my new colleagues across the business. Conduit has established a strong reputation in the market, and I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to the company’s continued growth and success.”

Mark’s appointment follows Elaine Whelan’s decision to retire as CFO and Executive Director with effect from 30 September 2026. Since joining Conduit as CFO in January 2021, Elaine has made a substantial contribution to the company’s development and success.

Neil Eckert commented further: “Elaine has made an exceptional contribution to Conduit during her tenure as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director. She has helped guide the company through its formative years, playing a central role in establishing its financial and operational foundations and supporting its growth and success.”

“Throughout her time with Conduit, Elaine has been a trusted colleague and a valuable partner to the Board, Executive team and colleagues across the organisation. Elaine’s professionalism, judgement and dedication have helped shape Conduit’s culture and reputation, while her positive influence has extended well beyond the finance function and has left a lasting mark on the business.”

“On behalf of the Board and all our colleagues, I would like to thank Elaine for her many contributions to Conduit. We are grateful for all that she has done and wish her well in her retirement.”

Elaine Whelan added: “It has been a privilege to serve as CFO of Conduit and to work alongside such talented colleagues during an important period in the company’s development. As with any start-up venture, there have been challenges along the way, but I have enjoyed working through them with the team. I am proud of what we have achieved together and, in particular, of my fantastic finance team. I am grateful for the support, friendship and commitment of colleagues across the business, and I leave Conduit with great confidence in its future. I wish Mark and everyone at Conduit every success in the years ahead.”

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These appointments underscore LSM’s commitment to providing deep technical expertise and risk mitigation solutions to clients navigating increasingly complex risks in these vital sectors.

Richard Mundy, Principal Risk Engineer- Energy

Based in London, Mundy brings more than 19 years of deep industry and insurance expertise. He will manage an expanding global client portfolio in the energy sector, with a specific focus on complex upstream, downstream, and construction energy risks, while driving strategic portfolio growth across the UK and MENA. He reports to Paddy Lisulo, UK & MENA Risk Engineering Manager.

Taz Chowdhury, Risk Engineer – Power

Based in London, Chowdhury will support the power line of business across UK and MENA, performing risk appraisals, risk engineering surveys and providing technical input on claims. Reporting to Paddy Lisulo (UK & MENA Risk Engineering Manager), Chowdhury joins LSM with close to seven years of industry engineering experience across UK, MENA, APAC and Europe.

Sam McLachlan, Risk Engineer – Construction

Based in Dubai, McLachlan will provide technical risk engineering support to the MENA construction team, bringing hands-on delivery experience on complex international construction projects to support profitable underwriting of the MENA construction portfolio.

Reporting to Sean Pearson (Underwriting Manager and Construction Regional Product Leader), McLachlan is a chartered civil engineer with more than 12 years of experience across insurance and industry spanning infrastructure, energy, transport, nuclear and commercial sectors.

Paddy Lisulo, UK & MENA Risk Engineering Manager at Liberty Specialty Markets, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome Richard, Taz and Sam to our team. Their strategic appointments reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering top-tier technical risk engineering expertise. By bringing in deep, hands-on industry experience, we not only power our underwriting teams but also elevate the collaborative risk-partnership model we offer our clients. As the energy, power, and construction sectors navigate rapid transitions and increasingly complex risk environments, their technical insights will be vital in helping our clients build resilience and manage risk effectively”

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Building on the success of its previous Continental Europe facility, the renewed offering provides broader access, higher limits and faster execution for eligible companies seeking comprehensive cyber protection. It is designed to streamline the insurance experience for clients and brokers, while supporting companies facing exposures ranging from data breaches and ransomware to supply chain risks.

The cover supports clients through crisis management and incident response, with access to external expertise when a cyber event occurs. It also provides financial protection for business interruption and supply chain losses, alongside cover for evolving threats such as social engineering, telephone hacking and invoice manipulation, helping protect profitability, continuity and reputation.

Key features:

• Panel-based capacity: The CyMax Facility has been expanded from a single-insurer model to a panel-based facility, supporting broader insurer participation and more flexible placement options for SMEs and middle market companies.
• Simplified application process: A one-page Cyber Application Form and short eligibility questionnaire of six to eight underwriting questions helps streamline access to cover and reduce administrative burden for clients and brokers.
• Broader and more inclusive eligibility: The facility is designed for companies with turnover up to €/CHF500m, who have established security controls, while also providing access to coverage for businesses with partially implemented controls in place.
• Pre-agreed pricing grids: Pre-agreed pricing grids reduce the need for back-and-forth discussions with insurers, helping clients and brokers secure terms more efficiently.
• Willis Cyber proprietary wordings: Clients benefit from WTW’s EMEA CyCore Primary and Excess wordings, aligned with GDPR, NIS2 and DORA, with innovative coverages such as cyber incident response, notification costs to data subjects and regulators, emergency costs, business interruption and contingent business interruption, regulatory action, social engineering, cyber theft, invoice manipulation and reputation harm.
• Specialist cyber support: Clients can access EMEA expertise and insurer pre- and post-breach services, including pre-ransomware alerts, threat intelligence reports, onboarding calls and crisis exercises.

Brian Vosloh, Head of Cyber EMEA at Willis, said: “As cyber risks continue to grow in complexity, SMEs and middle market companies need cyber insurance solutions that are easier to access, quicker to place and better aligned to their evolving exposures.”

“By renewing and expanding Willis’ CyMax Facility, we are giving clients broader access to capacity, higher limits, innovative proprietary coverages and a faster, simpler route to cyber insurance. The use of pre-agreed pricing grids, a streamlined application process and a single vulnerability-scan subjectivity helps reduce friction for brokers and clients, while access to pre- and post-breach services offered by insurers supports stronger cyber resilience.”

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