Broking company Howden has appointed Nicolas Aubert as Chief Executive Officer, France, bringing over 30 years of experience to the role.
Aubert was most recently at Willis Towers Watson as Head of Great Britain and CEO, Willis Limited.
Prior to this, he held leadership roles at AIG, as COO EMEA and had been Managing Director of different geographies, including the UK, Southern Europe and France.
Aubert has focused his career mostly within the UK market, where he has held major positions at AIG and Willis.
He now returns home to France to lead operations in this key market as Howden continues to expand its European platform and provide clients with more choice.
Luigi Sturani, Regional CEO, Howden Europe said: “Nicolas’ appointment strengthens our existing European platform and brings choice to a market that is crying out for European-focused alternatives.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates Howden’s commitment to develop its network across Europe and specifically in France, one of the biggest broking markets on the continent.
“The first key step in expanding Howden France was to find a respected and credible leader in the market, and Nicolas was a natural fit because of his extensive experience in both the French and UK markets.
“He has a proven track record in managing high profile growth and transformation projects, strong managerial capabilities and industry knowledge that will be invaluable in overseeing the integration of future acquisitions in France.”
Aubert added: “When deciding on what I wanted to do next, I knew I wanted to build a business.
“Joining Howden was an exciting opportunity as it is truly an entrepreneurial company, providing a great alternative for talent and for clients.
“Our operations in France will extend Howden’s existing capabilities to better serve clients, in France and all over the world.
“We are eager to grow the business. Our goal is to become one of the top brokers in France with an extensive territorial presence and strong specialties.
“We will accomplish this by attracting the best entrepreneurial talent and like-minded companies, and by growing organically, supported by Howden’s existing regional platform.”
Howden first opened an office in France in 2019 launching a Warranty and Indemnity business, Howden M&A France.
The team is made up of former M&A corporate and tax lawyers who advise clients across the entire spectrum of M&A insurance.
In 2021, the team saw growth of almost 45%, by policy count, acting on more than 30 transactions with an aggregate value exceeding EUR 12 billion.
