Reinsurance broker Howden Re has announced the appointment of Hayley Schell as Managing Director in South Africa, effective 1 November 2026.
Based in Johannesburg, Schell will report to Attilio Tornetta and work closely with Gary Ankcorn and the wider South African team.
She brings more than 34 years of experience across non-life insurance and reinsurance broking and underwriting leadership roles, with a well-established network in the South African market.
Schell joins Howden Re after eight years at Swiss Re, where she served as Regional Manager P&C Southern Africa | Vice President | Europe, Middle East & Africa. In the role, she built trust-based relationships to facilitate significant capital transactions. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Broker at Guy Carpenter.
Howden Re said Schell’s appointment further strengthens its commitment to continued growth in the South African market.
Attilio Tornetta, Managing Director and Head of Howden Re MEA Treaty & Regional Retro, said, “I am delighted to welcome Hayley to Howden Re. Her deep knowledge of the South African market and its clients makes her a significant addition to our business here. Her appointment is another important step in our continued investment in the market, and her relationships will be a real asset as we grow our client base in South Africa and across the region.”
Gary Ankcorn, Managing Director, Howden Re South Africa, added, “Hayley joins at an important time for the market. South Africa’s protection gap is widening, and insurers, municipalities and government are all feeling the pressure from catastrophe and climate risk. Howden Re has dedicated specialty, parametric and alternative solutions teams, and combining them with local and regional expertise like Hayley’s means we can give clients practical answers to the challenges they face.”
Mario Baotic, Head of International Growth Markets, Howden Re, said, “An appointment of Hayley’s calibre reflects our commitment to hiring exceptional local talent. It also underlines Howden Re’s long-term commitment to South Africa and the wider MEA region as we build a more connected regional platform. Hayley joins a senior team that includes established leaders such as Attilio and Gary, and more recent hires like Anne Njoki, Mohamed Amine Gouta and Vijith Jayakumar. I look forward to continuing to work with the newly expanded team to reinforce our market proximity and build further momentum across our international growth markets.”
