Howden Re, the reinsurance, capital markets and strategic advisory division of Howden, has announced further changes to its Swiss platform and leadership team as the company continues to strengthen its presence across Europe.
The company said Switzerland remains a strategically important market and highlighted its ongoing efforts to build on the platform established following the acquisition and integration of Haakon in 2023.
According to Howden Re, the latest developments are intended to bring its Swiss operations into closer alignment with the wider European business, while increasing collaboration across the DACH region and improving access to both regional and global expertise.
As part of the changes, Howden Re has appointed Christian Schaer as Head of Howden Re Switzerland. In the role, he will oversee the company’s Swiss operations and treaty business. Howden Re said Schaer has more than 15 years of experience within the EMEA reinsurance market, with particular expertise across Switzerland and the wider DACH region. Prior to joining Howden Re Switzerland in 2023, he worked at PartnerRe as Senior Underwriter P&C, EMEA.
Howden Re also recognised the contribution of Ivo Gugolz in establishing the company’s Swiss business, including his involvement in the acquisition and integration of Haakon. The company confirmed that Gugolz will step back from his current position while continuing to assist with the transition over the coming months.
In a further appointment, Howden Re announced that Michael Hauswirth will join the Swiss business as Director. Based in Zurich, Hauswirth joins from NewRe, where he most recently served as Senior Underwriter Property Treaty. Howden Re said he brings experience across underwriting, direct insurance and reinsurance broking, and will support the continued expansion of the company’s offering throughout the DACH region.
Tobias Andersson, Head of Continental Europe at Howden Re International, commented: “We have successfully built a strong and well-positioned platform in Switzerland following the acquisition of Haakon in 2023, and we are now taking the next steps to further strengthen and utilise our capabilities to bring increased value to clients. As we continue to invest in the DACH region, our focus is on ensuring our clients benefit from the full breadth of Howden Re’s DACH and global expertise.”
Schaer added: “Our focus in Switzerland is on delivering an integrated client offering across DACH, combining local expertise with strong connectivity to the wider Howden Re platform. Having Michael Hauswirth join us will be a great addition to our proposition, across both Switzerland and DACH.”
Howden Re stated that its DACH broking team now includes Christian Schaer, Lars Nelson, Anke Salm, Björn Hagendorf, Pascal Kahraman, Andrew MacKinnon, Eric Mueller and Mirko Prueter. The business added that the team is supported by specialist colleagues across the wider Howden Re platform in DACH, including Alex Roth, Head of Capital Solutions, Wolfram Schultz, Head of Casualty Europe, and Enver Karapinar, Head of Facultative DACH.
According to Howden Re, the latest appointments and structural changes follow continued investment in the DACH facultative market, alongside the establishment of a Germany-regulated Howden Capital Markets & Advisory entity.
Andersson further added: “DACH and our valued clients in the region are a priority for Howden Re. We are entirely focussed on maximising value and service, supported by data and analytics, as we continue to strengthen our capability and grow our business.”
