Broker firm Howden has appointed Philippe Lutgen as chief operations officer (COO) for Europe.
He will report to Luigi Sturani, CEO of Howden Europe, and will be based in London. In the newly formed role, Lutgen will lead on operations across the continent (excluding the UK), supporting on the development and execution of Howden’s growth strategy, while driving integration as it establishes and consolidates its European platform.
Lutgen joins from AXA XL where he spent the previous 20 years, most recently as chief operations officer for Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
His LinkedIn profile suggests that he has been at AXA XL for six-and-a-half years, joining there in July 2015 after nearly thirteen years at XL Group.
Sturani said: “Our strategy in Europe is focused on local specialism and expertise. With a track-record in leading large and multi-national operations, Philippe will enable Howden to realise and embed its strategy for a strong continental platform, while ensuring each of our European markets maintain their deep local specialisms and entrepreneurial cultures.”
Lutgen joins Howden Europe, following its recent acquisitions of Théorème and CRF Conseils in France and, earlier this year, Assiteca in Italy, as the broker continues to expand its platform across the continent.
He said: “I am excited to join Howden’s rapidly expanding platform across Europe and enable its People First and entrepreneurial culture. My experience of building strong operational capabilities combined with Howden’s ability to attract and retain the best talent will be critical to our success in delivering unrivalled and localised expertise and service to our clients.”
