Lockton, the world’s largest independent insurance broker, is proud to announce two key senior promotions within its Crisis Management team. Helen Sandford has been appointed as Head of Special Crime and Freddie Schlesinger has been appointed as Head of Product Recall and Reputational Risk, effective 1st May 2024. They will both support the continued growth of the Crisis Management team, which includes War, Terrorism & Political Violence, Special Crime, and Product Recall & Reputational Risk under one roof. Helen and Freddie will report to Matt Humphries, Head of Crisis Management.

Helen brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in providing bespoke placements across Special Crime risk to her new role. She was previously Assistant Vice President at Lockton, serving as Special Crime Lead for the Lockton Crisis Management team. Freddie Schlesinger joined Lockton in 2019, serving as Vice President and has extensive experience and a proven track record in product recall, and a demonstrable commitment to client excellence.

These appointments follow the appointment of James Bannister as Head of War, Terrorism & Policial Violence in the Crisis Management team last year.

Matt Humphries, Head of Crisis Management at Lockton, said: “We are growing rapidly and differentiating ourself from our peers through getting niche expertise to our clients & prospects. As we grow, I am delighted that we have the strength in depth to continually promote from within. Freddie and Helen are the latest example of our approach to talent development.

“Recent global dynamics have seen a significant uptick in frequency of crises events and highlighted the importance of crisis management plans. Their skillset and insights will be instrumental in maintaining the momentum the team has built and delivering bespoke insurance solutions, formulated to manage the precise risks our clients face. Lockton’s unique proposition is deliberately aligned to achieve economies of scale and to make Crisis Management a standalone conversation.”