Howden, the international insurance intermediary group, has named April McLaughlin as Managing Director of its newly established Miami office.
Her appointment marks a strategic move to enhance Howden’s presence in Latin America and the Caribbean through a unified regional approach that integrates both reinsurance and specialty insurance services.
In this new role, McLaughlin will lead the launch of Howden Re Miami, a hub designed to offer tailored treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions.
She will also oversee Howden’s current specialty insurance operations across Central America and the Caribbean, helping to link clients in these regions with broader global markets.
Working across the organisation’s reinsurance and specialty divisions, McLaughlin will draw on expertise from across the group to deliver value to clients navigating increasingly complex risk environments.
With more than 25 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance sectors, McLaughlin brings significant expertise in Latin American markets.
She most recently headed Chaucer’s Latin America operations, delivered in partnership with Orchid Underwriting, and previously served as Head of Latin America Reinsurance at AXA XL (formerly Catlin), where she managed regional development and underwriting strategy.
McLaughlin will report to Sonia Caamaño, CEO of International Growth Markets, and Mario Baotic, Head of International Growth Markets for International Treaty at Howden Re. Max Scagnetti, who has served as Managing Director of Specialty in Miami, will step into a new position as Executive Advisor for both Miami and the wider Latin American region, continuing to report to Caamaño.
Caamaño said: “April joins us at a pivotal moment for Howden Miami. Over the last seven years, under the expert guidance of Max Scagnetti, we have been building a strong foundation for the business. Combining this with April’s Knowledge and expertise, Howden Miami is now firmly positioned to grow and be closer to the clients it serves across specialty insurance, treaty and facultative reinsurance.”
Baotic commented: “We are pleased to have established a reinsurance offering for Latin America under April’s leadership as part of our existing Miami Specialty operations. Miami offers a strategic platform that will allow us to deliver reinsurance solutions and to support global clients with operations in the region. April’s appointment represents a key step in our commitment to developing treaty capabilities in Miami, positioning us to offer even greater value to our clients and partners.”
Sarah Hughes, CEO Specialty, Howden, added: “It is fantastic to welcome someone of April’s calibre to Howden. Her experience will support Specialty’s growth across these important regions and further reinforce our standing as a global player of scale and expertise. With April leading the Miami team across Specialty and Reinsurance, we will have an integrated and powerful proposition for clients, insurers and colleagues that will power future growth.”
