MS Amlin appoints Rob Houghton as new COO replacing Simon Smith

Specialty re/insurer MS Amlin has appointed Rob Houghton as new chief operating officer (COO),  replacing Simon Smith who has left the firm less than a year after joining from Willis Towers Watson.

Smith left the re/insurer earlier this year to pursue other opportunities. He was appointed to the COO role in July 2018.

Houghton joins MS Amlin from the Post Office where he currently serves as COO, having joined the company as CIO and change director in 2016.

Prior to that, Houghton spent fourteen years in a progressive series of roles at Aviva group; including UK CIO, North American CIO and global solutions delivery director.

Houghton is expected to join MS Amlin mid-October 2019 and will form part of the executive team, reporting to Simon Beale, CEO.

Beale said: “We are delighted that Rob will be joining MS Amlin’s senior leadership team. He brings unrivalled experience and a strong track record of leading a number of successful strategic initiatives across an impressive career spanning more than three decades. His breadth of leadership experience and expertise, both inside and outside the financial services sector, will bring the best of both worlds to MS Amlin and add additional strength to our executive team.

“Rob is extremely well-placed to help drive MS Amlin’s long-term strategy as we continue to focus on repositioning the business for a sustainable and profitable future. We look forward to him joining the team.”