Howden Broking Group has appointed Richard Friedl as managing director and head of business development at its North American property/casualty division.

In his role, Friedl will focus on the company’s retail and wholesale producers to assist in programme design, structure and strategy as well as provide access to the London, Bermudan and European marketplaces.

Friedl will also help to build creative insurance solutions for clients in conjunction with their markets.

He will work closely with Philipp Kunath, Howden’s Chicago-based representative, and with retail and wholesale partners in North America in their time zone, providing a bridge between the US marketplace and the international resources of Howden’s global wholesale hubs.

Based in New Jersey, Friedl will report to John Plummer, who leads Howden’s North American division.

Howden Broking chief executive Tim Coldes said, "Being on the ground locally, the initiative further enhances our ability to provide practical insurance solutions to our clients and partners."