Fintech PR

Markel further expands International Casualty team with three key appointments

Published

2 months ago

October 2, 2024

markel-further-expands-international-casualty-team-with-three-key-appointments

LONDON, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), today announced a trio of key appointments as part of a strategic move to diversify the business’s International Casualty portfolio and strengthen its award-winning Wholesale Claims service for broker partners.

The new arrivals include Lauren Percival, who has been appointed to the role of Executive Underwriter – General Liability with immediate effect. Her principal responsibilities will include supporting the sustainable expansion of Markel’s General Liability portfolio alongside James Murray who was hired as Head of General Liability earlier this year. Percival will also be responsible for identifying areas to spearhead further profitable growth and ensure high service levels and response times are maintained for brokers and their policyholders.

Percival brings 18 years of London Market underwriting experience and expertise to her new role. Before joining Markel, she held senior underwriter positions at Arch Insurance International and Chaucer Plc, respectively. Prior to that, Percival worked for QBE Insurance (Europe) Ltd for 13 years, during which time she progressed to Senior Underwriter, International Casualty Division, where she established a strong network of clients and managed a profitable book of business writing risk across South America, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean, among other territories.

Alongside Percival, Olivia Hogan has been appointed Senior Underwriter at Markel. In her new role, Hogan will support Graeme Ivory, Director, International Casualty with the development of the organisation’s Environmental Liability product offering by underwriting a market-leading portfolio of diverse business, ensuring long-term profitable growth. She will also be responsible for building new and fostering existing broker relationships as well as recruiting and nurturing talent across the International Casualty underwriting team in London.

Hogan is a seasoned underwriter, with 12 years’ experience in the London Market, specialising in strategic underwriting. Previously, she spent more than six years at AIG as the insurer’s UK Environmental Line of Business Owner, where she led a team of four underwriters who managed a profitable environmental insurance portfolio.

Finally, Ed Norman has been appointed International Casualty Claims Manager, with responsibility for developing and leading the International Casualty claims function to ensure brokers and insureds carry on receiving a customer-focused, nimble and value-adding service. He’s also tasked with handling complex and non-complex claims across Markel’s International Casualty key product lines – General Liability, Environmental Liability and Life Sciences – forging strong broker relationships and feeding technical expertise into best-in-class wordings tailored to meet clients’ evolving risk exposures.

Norman possesses a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise spanning two decades and was most recently employed at AXA XL for more than nine years. During that time, he managed a team of four claims professionals in his role as Assistant Claims Manager – London Wholesale Casualty and dealt with claims settlements for the firm’s international wholesale underwriting units. Prior to his employment at AXA XL, Norman held the role of Casualty Claims Adjuster at MSIG Holdings, where he handled casualty claims losses and settlements on a global scale.

Based at Markel’s London office, Percival will report directly to Murray, while Hogan will report into Ivory. Meanwhile, Norman will be managed by Thomas Upton, Head of Claims, Marine and Energy.

Ivory commented: “We’re excited to welcome Lauren and Olivia to our growing International Casualty underwriting team here in London. Their blended skillsets, industry knowledge and experience of managing various international casualty product lines, will significantly add to the bench strength we already have in the team and support us in our ambitions to further diversify our portfolios and enhance our service offering.”

Upton said: “As part of our claims value proposition, we’re continually investing in top-tier talent to make sure we deliver on our promise to provide a consistently excellent service for brokers and insureds. I’m therefore delighted that Ed will be joining as International Casualty Claims Manager. His impressive background will be instrumental in supporting the International Casualty underwriting team with developing bespoke insurance solutions, by resolving claims matters in an efficient and timely manner and keeping them abreast of important claims trends and developments.”

About Markel
We are Markel, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), we operate the Markel Specialty, Markel International, and Markel Global Reinsurance divisions, as well as State National, our portfolio protection and program services operations, and Nephila, our insurance-linked securities operations. Our broad array of capabilities and expertise allow us to create intelligent solutions for the most complex risk management needs. However, it is our people—and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients—that differentiates us worldwide.

Olivia Hogan, Senior Underwriter, Markel

Edward Norman, International Casualty Claims Manager, Markel

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2519155/Markel_Lauren_Percival.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2519156/Markel_Olivia_Hogan.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2519154/Markel_Edward_Norman.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2090808/Markel_primary_logo_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/markel-further-expands-international-casualty-team-with-three-key-appointments-302262913.html

Fintech PR

Wahed appoints Khalid Al Jassim as Executive Chairman of Wahed MENA to help guide the strategic growth of Wahed in the region

Published

9 hours ago

November 24, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

wahed-appoints-khalid-al-jassim-as-executive-chairman-of-wahed-mena-to-help-guide-the-strategic-growth-of-wahed-in-the-region

DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Wahed, a global Shariah-compliant fintech, has appointed Khalid Al Jassim as Chairman of Wahed MENA.

On this appointment, Khalid commented, ”I am excited to guide Wahed’s growth in the region. Wahed’s mission of furthering Islamic Finance is one I resonate with deeply and I look forward to supporting its growth ambitions.”

Khalid has over twenty five years of investment banking and corporate advisory experience gained with some of the most innovative and groundbreaking institutions in the world.

His career spans leading firms including SABIC, Arthur Anderson and Arcapita Bank in Bahrain, where he was instrumental in making it into one of the PE powerhouses in the region. His responsibilities started in the earlier years with establishing the Investment Placement Team and transforming it into one of the most robust teams in the industry. At the time that Khalid left Arcapita to build his personal business, he was an Executive Director. Today he is Chairman of Afkar Vision, a private advisory house specialized in mergers and acquisitions with offices in Manama, Dubai and Riyadh.

As well as being one of the earliest investors in Wahed, he is currently Chairman of the Audit Committee and Board Member at Bahrain Islamic Bank, the 4th oldest Islamic Bank in the World and Board Member at SICO Bank and SICO Capital in Saudi, an $8bn asset manager in the region.

Mohsin Siddiqui, Wahed CEO said, “We are delighted to announce Khalid’s appointment. His unique understanding of the financial landscape in the MENA region is unparalleled and we are excited to bring this expertise in continuing to grow our presence in the region.”

About Wahed

Founded in 2015, Wahed is a financial technology company that is advancing financial inclusion through accessible, affordable, and values-based investing. The company has made significant inroads in the world Shariah compliant investing by creating an easy-to-use digital platform that provides a suite of Shariah compliant investing products including managed portfolios and venture and real estate investments. Wahed caters to over 400,000 customers globally and manages over $ 1 billion in assets.

For more information, visit: www.wahed.com

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2566076/Wahed_MENA_Khalid_Al_Jassim.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wahed-appoints-khalid-al-jassim-as-executive-chairman-of-wahed-mena-to-help-guide-the-strategic-growth-of-wahed-in-the-region-302314779.html

Fintech PR

Qatar Development Bank announces strategic investment in global Islamic FinTech, Wahed

Published

9 hours ago

November 24, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

qatar-development-bank-announces-strategic-investment-in-global-islamic-fintech,-wahed

DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Qatar Development Bank (QDB) announces a strategic investment in Wahed, a global Shariah-compliant fintech.

Wahed currently manages over $1 billion in assets and has attracted over 400,000 clients worldwide. The company is built on the principles of democratizing access to financial services and offers clients access to Shariah-compliant investments in its mobile app. Wahed removes the barriers to sophisticated investment management services that have been traditionally reserved for high-net-worth investors.

Khalid Al Jassim, Executive Chairman of Wahed MENA said: ‘We are delighted to welcome our new shareholders, QDB. We believe Qatar is fully aligned with our mission in creating a technology-first Islamic finance leader that unlocks a financial ecosystem free from Riba. We look forward to supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030 of becoming a leading knowledge-based economy.

Ali Rahimtula, Partner at Cue Ball Capital said: “Qatar Development Bank’s strategic investment is a clear signal of the faith the industry has in Wahed and its ability to create the future of Islamic Finance.”

About Wahed

For more information, visit: www.wahed.com

About Qatar Development Bank

Qatar Development Bank’s mission is to advance the economic and innovation development cycle of Qatar, supporting and contributing to the nation’s economic diversification. As well as a focus on the development of Qatar’s private sector, QDB is a powerful catalyst for socio-economic development in the country, empowering the local economy and bettering living standards.

For more information, visit: https://www.qdb.qa/

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2566075/Qatar_Development_Bank_Announcement.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/qatar-development-bank-announces-strategic-investment-in-global-islamic-fintech-wahed-302314778.html

Fintech PR

China’s AIMA brand electric motorbike is now in Bangladesh

Published

22 hours ago

November 23, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — With the popularity of electric vehicles in Bangladesh, the globally renowned AIMA brand has also arrived in Bangladesh. The esteemed DX Group has brought the AIMA F-626 to customers. This environmentally friendly battery-operated electric motorbike has already been approved by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) now.

In light of the increasing popularity of electric motorcycles in the country, the internationally-leading brand AIMA has entered the market. By the end of 2023, AIMA electric two-wheelers had established a presence in over 50 countries worldwide, with 11 global production bases, including overseas factories in Indonesia and Vietnam. In 2022, AIMA collaborated with Rob Janoff, the designer of the Apple logo, to refresh the brand’s VI system with a youthful and fashionable image. In 2023, AIMA teamed up with PANTONE, the global authority in color expertise, to create the trending color of the year. As an industry leader, AIMA spearheads the electric two-wheeler sector and showcases the prowess of a leading electric two-wheeler brand on a global scale. As of March 31, 2024, AIMA’s total electric two-wheeler sales had reached 80 million units, earning certification from Frost & Sullivan, a globally recognized business growth consulting firm, as the “Global Leading Electric Two-wheeler Brand”.

Over the years, AIMA has always been a product trendsetter in the electric two-wheeler sector. As of March 31, 2024, the total sales volume of AIMA electric two-wheelers reached 80 million, and Frost & Sullivan, a world-renowned market consulting company, awarded AIMA with the market status certification of the “Global Leading Electric Two-wheeler Brand (by Sales)”.

AIMA adhere to the customer-centered product philosophy and technologies that support long-term innovation and breakthroughs. We believe that the efficiency and modern technology of the AIMA F-626 will present an excellent alternative means of communication for our customers.