Several insurance firms have announced senior appointments this week.
DA Strategy has appointed Rachel Kelly as manager. Kelly brings more than a decade of policing experience, including leadership roles with Kent Police, where she managed complex operations, assessed risk and worked across multiple agencies. She most recently served as a detective sergeant and acting detective inspector in Kent Police's custody operations, overseeing high-risk situations and time-critical decisions. She previously supervised complex domestic abuse investigations. Kelly will initially focus on DA Strategy's internal operations, drawing on her team leadership and stakeholder coordination experience, before moving into client-facing delegated authority work.
Folgate Underwriting Agency has appointed Terry Shaw as chief underwriting officer for regional professional indemnity. Shaw joins from Aqueous, where he spent 11 years and most recently led the PI team. He began his London Market career at QBE and Lockton before moving into the regional market with CNA Hardy and then Aqueous. He will lead Folgate's regional PI book alongside Paul Freeman, chief underwriting officer for UK and international PI. Freeman joined Folgate from Liberty Specialty Markets in April 2026 after 17 years there. The appointment continues growth in Folgate's PI team, which has expanded to seven people since Debbie Farman joined as head of PI renewals and Mathew Harvey as head of PI in November 2025, both from Aqueous, followed by Freeman's arrival in April 2026.
AXA XL has appointed Debbie Durkan as head of private equity and business development, UK & Lloyd's, a newly created role starting October 1. Based in London, Durkan will build out AXA XL's private equity practice and lead business development across key growth initiatives. She spent most of her career at major brokers, starting at Marsh before moves to Gallagher and JLT. She rejoined Marsh after its 2019 acquisition of JLT, where she headed Marsh's PEMA post-acquisition and portfolio management practice in the UK. She joined AXA XL in January 2025 leading distribution for global energy transition and connected risks.
HDI Global UK & Ireland has appointed Louise Radford as active underwriter for Lloyd's Syndicate 2029, its planned new syndicate following Lloyd's recent approval in principle for its establishment. Radford is currently head of financial lines at HDI UK & Ireland and will continue leading that team alongside her new role, reporting to Adam Curran, chief underwriting officer for specialty. She joined HDI in 2020 as a senior underwriter in the management liability team, bringing prior underwriting and broking experience including within the Lloyd's market. As active underwriter, Radford will have overall responsibility for the syndicate's underwriting strategy, portfolio performance, regulatory compliance and risk appetite, playing a central role in shaping its long-term growth as part of HDI's wider Xcelerate29 strategy.
Consilium has appointed Henry Menage as professional indemnity new business executive within its UK & Ireland Risk Solutions division. Menage joins from Citynet with five years of specialist PI broking experience, including large, complex and distressed accounts, alongside expertise in cyber, D&O and financial lines with particular experience in construction.
