Marsh taps new COO UK & Ireland from Royal London

Global broker  Marsh has hired a new chief operating officer (COO) for UK & Ireland business from Royal London Asset Management (RLAM).

Catherine Read (pictured) will also join the broker's UK & Ireland executive committee and the board of Marsh. Based in London, she will report to Chris Lay, CEO of UK & Ireland, and Puneet Satyawadi, COO of international, Marsh.

As COO, Read will lead initiatives to support the development of Marsh’s operational and technological capabilities.

Read brings nearly 20 years’ experience in COO and senior audit roles in the financial services industry to Marsh. She will join Marsh from Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) where she is executive director and COO, responsible for all aspects of operations and data. Prior to RLAM, she held senior positions at Royal London Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She also spent several years in her early career at Barclays Capital and qualified as an accountant at PwC.

Lay said: “The world of risk is constantly evolving, and is creating new possibilities for our business, clients, and colleagues. Catherine’s long standing experience in organisational effectiveness will be invaluable as we work together to develop and deliver the innovative solutions our clients need to meet the challenges they face.”