Howden Group has announced the appointment of Will Bloomer to the newly created role of Chief Corporate and Legal Affairs Officer.
In this expanded role, Bloomer’s main focus will be on major, complex corporate initiatives and development.
Frances Coats joins the company as Group General Counsel to lead the international legal team, reporting to Bloomer.
Bloomer has held the role of Group General Counsel since 2013, having joined Howden Group in March 2012 as Howden’s Corporate and Legal Director.
He is a member of the Group’s Executive Committee and previously spent 12 years with Heath Lambert (later Gallagher Heath) as General Counsel and Compliance Director.
Coats, who will join the Howden Broking and DUAL Group executive committees, has both in-house and private practice experience leading teams in industries from technology and insurance to litigation finance, and in a number of jurisdictions.
Most recently she was European General Counsel for bolttech, the leading international insurtech business, and she was previously Chief Counsel, Corporate and Commercial at The Ardonagh Group.
“Since the beginning of 2015 our Enterprise Value has increased by seven times, and our EBITDA has increased by five times,” said David Howden.
“During the same period our share price has quadrupled and we now have five times as many employee shareholders.
“Indeed even in the last 18 months we have completed our largest acquisition as well a number of strategic acquisitions around the world, welcomed Hg to the Group as a long-term investor, significantly increased our talent base, and delivered our most successful internal share offer; Will has been central to the execution of these initiatives.”
Commenting on his appointment, Bloomer said, “I am incredibly proud of the team we have built here and the part we have played in building the Group to what it is today.
“As well as the many internal promotions, attracting a Group General Counsel of Frances’ quality – as recognised by her legal peers – is so good for us, as well as being evidence of the excitement building around the opportunities we have to do something different in the industry.
“She brings a commercial eye and a breadth and depth of legal experience that, in combination, mean she will bring a fresh dynamic to our endeavours.”
