Specialist global insurer Hiscox has appointed Bob Thaker as its new UK Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective March 2019.
Thaker has been with the company since 2010 and held a number of senior roles during that time, having joined as Head of Strategy before going on to serve as Group Chief Risk Officer.
Hiscox says he is already very familiar with the UK business, having spent two years as Head of Claims for Hiscox UK and Europe, where he served on the UK leadership team.
In 2014 he relocated to Asia to become Chief Operating Officer of DirectAsia, a newly-acquired direct-to-consumer personal lines insurance business, and became CEO of the DirectAsia Group in January 2015.
Thaker succeeds Steve Langan, who moved to the USA in 2018 as Hiscox USA CEO and remains the Hiscox Group’s Chief Marketing Officer.
In his new role, Thaker will lead the 800-strong UK team, be based out of Birmingham and report to Ben Walter, CEO of Hiscox Global Retail, who is responsible for Hiscox USA, Hiscox UK, Hiscox Europe and Hiscox Special Risks.
Commenting on the appointment, Walter said, “Bob is a natural champion of the customer who will lead the UK team in its next phase of growth.”
“We will benefit from Bob’s experience navigating intensely competitive markets and developing creative partnership opportunities.”
Thaker added, “I’m delighted to be returning to Hiscox UK and honoured to lead a great team which has consistently served customers superbly and created a strong market position over many years.”
“I know from my time with the business a few years ago that we are fortunate to enjoy fabulous support from our broker partners for which we remain incredibly grateful. I look forward to working with the team and these terrific partners to build on these great foundations in the years ahead.”
