(LONDON) 18.05.2023 - Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned independent insurance broker, has appointed James Bannister as Head of Global War, Terrorism & Political Violence, effective immediately. James will report to Matt Humphries, Head of Crisis Management, in London. In this role, James will be responsible for the development of Lockton’s War, Terrorism & Political Violence insurance offering, whilst contributing to the continued growth of the wider Crisis Management division.
James brings a wealth of Political Violence experience having been part of the London market for over fifteen years. He joins from Aon, where he held a series of roles, culminating with his appointment as Executive Director, Head of North American Terrorism. Prior to this, he served as a War and Terrorism Underwriter at Canopius.
James’s hire marks the latest in a number of hires to Lockton’s Crisis Management division, which was launched in 2021. His appointment follows that of Helen Sandford as lead of Kidnap & Ransom, formerly at Willis,Charlie Brand as Account Manager, previously at Marsh and Anita Pellizzari as Product Recall Broker who joined from Munich Re Syndicate Limited. The division’s overall offering includes War, Terrorism & Political Violence, Active Assailant, Kidnap & Ransom, Crisis Response, Product Recall & Reputational Risk.
Matt Humphries, Head of Crisis Management at Lockton, said: “James has joined at a key moment as we strengthen our Crisis Management offering and rapidly increase our headcount. James’ strong industry knowledge and skillset will see him play a central role in enhancing our proposition. Geopolitical tensions have bought the need for Terrorism and Political Violence coverage into sharp focus as our clients grapple with the effects of Global conflict . James leading this division’s expertise will enable us to support our partners to develop further, forward thinking solutions to meet their evolving needs.”
James Bannister, Head of Global War, Terrorism & Political Risk, said: “I’m delighted to be joining Lockton’s Crisis Management team and developing Terrorism and Political Violence coverage solutions for clients Globally. The need for innovative risk transfer mechanisms has never been more apparent, as clients seek to protect their assets, revenues and people in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. Matt and his colleagues have established a compelling Crisis Management proposition and I look forward to working with the team in the delivery of future growth.’’
Lockton has been awarded the Best Place to Work in Insurance for 13 years in a row, is a 2022 US Best Managed Company and has been recognised by Forbes as a 2022 Best Large Employer and Best Employer for Diversity.
Lockton was named as one of the UK’s top 50 best large companies to work for in 2022, according to the Sunday Times’ annual “Best Companies” survey (opens a new window). The same survey ranked Lockton as one of the insurance sector’s top five best companies to work for. In addition, Lockton was given a Three Star Accreditation, the highest rating, representing “world class levels of workplace engagement” with its Associates.
