Hiscox appoints new UK CUO from Zurich

Specialist insurer Hiscox has made two new senior appointments within its UK retail business from Zurich Insurance Group and Phillips.

Ben Horton has been appointed chief underwriting officer for Hiscox UK & Ireland and joins from Zurich where he spent four years as EMEA claims director. Prior to this, he spent eight years at RSA in a variety of commercial roles including head of strategic sourcing, commercial operations director and personal claims director. In his new role, Horton will be based in London.

In addition, James Browne has been appointed managing director of the UK and Ireland direct business. Prior to Hiscox, Browne was a senior marketing director at Phillips in the Netherlands. Browne will be based in York.

“Our retail business is an increasingly important component of Hiscox Group and like any insurance business good underwriting is critical to success,” said Ben Walter, CEO Hiscox Global Retail. “Ben Horton’s deep industry expertise and sharp eye for new opportunities are exactly what we need to drive our most established retail business forward.

“Our direct channel has been integral to the success of our retail arm. It’s an exciting part of the business that never stands still, and we’re delighted to have a customer-focused executive like James on-board to take it forward.”

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