London-headquartered Ascent Underwriting has announced the appointment of Rob Harden as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), subject to regulatory approval.
Harden has over 20 years experience in the industry – including senior finance and corporate development roles at Liberty Specialty Markets, Beazley, QBE and Close Brothers – and joins from global re/insurer Canopius Group, where he served for two years as CFO.
Harden’s appointment follows that of James Weathersone as Non-Executive Chairman in March and sees the firm add significant experience to its senior team after securing the backing of private equity firm Preservation Capital Partners to support expansion plans.
Ascent has stated that both hires will further enhance its existing proposition and expansion into complementary lines.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Ascent, David Umbers, said, “Rob is an exceptionally talented individual with a mix of experience and financial expertise that will help propel Ascent toward its goals. Huge opportunity exists within cyber and other emerging specialty lines. With Rob’s appointment, along with James’ and with Preservation Capital’s backing, the team is ready to take full advantage of that opportunity.”
Commenting on his appointment, Harden said, “I am delighted to be joining Ascent at such an exciting time in the development of the business. I look forward to working with David and the team to build further on the success of the business as we embark upon the next phase of our growth journey”.
