Lockton Re appoints Stephens as head of crisis management

Lockton Re has appointed James Stephens as its first head of crisis management, a newly created role based in London.

Stephens brings more than 35 years of experience as a reinsurance intermediary and is a well-known figure in the London market.

He joins from Guy Carpenter, where he was managing director for non-marine specialties, having previously held senior positions at JLT Re, Towers Watson and Benfield.

His remit at Lockton Re will include building out expertise across terrorism and political violence, strikes, riots and civil commotion (SRCC), kidnap and ransom, entertainment and contingency, and product recall.

Tom Meyer, head of specialty at Lockton Re, said the hire reflected increasing client demand.

“James has strong client advocacy experience across most property and specialty areas as well as cyber, with particular expertise in crisis management lines,” he said. “The creation of this role is a direct result of the growing demand we are seeing from clients and markets.”

Stephens said he was excited to join a platform that had “seen impressive growth and success over the last five years.” He added: “My focus on innovation and value is a great fit for the business.”

Keith Harrison, international CEO of Lockton Re, said Stephens’ arrival was timely given the geopolitical environment.

“We have a substantial crisis management client base and with geopolitics as they are right now, we see a lot of opportunity to bring deep-seated expertise and valuable insights to our clients,” he added.