Towers Watson has strengthened its presence in the Continental European reinsurance market by appointing Meriem Yabari, Firouzeh Poursardar and Jean-Francois Delon to its Paris-based reinsurance team.
According to the Towers, Yabari will join the reinsurance department to lead the team in both casualty and property analytics; Poursardar, a senior broker with expertise in property, casualty and motor insurance; and Jean-Francois Delon, will head the reinsurance division in France.
Yabari, a former Guy Carpenter vice president, will work on catastrophe modeling output and brokerage development in the reinsurance department.
Poursardar, formerly at Aon Benfield, will draw on her 20 years of experience to focus on developing Towers Watson’s growth in the French market, particularly the mutuals sector.
Delon, who joins from Aon Benfield, has over 20 years of reinsurance experience, which includes six years in London and experience in the French market, focusing in particular on property, motor and marine insurance.
Towers Watson’s Reinsurance business COO Ross Howard said the French market, in particular is looking for an integrated approach when it comes to purchasing reinsurance, so the new team will help deliver this by working alongside its insurance consultancy team.
“The decision to expand reinsurance operations in Paris reflects the continued development and growth of Towers Watson’s European reinsurance business and we will continue to bolster our presence in key markets in due course,” Howard said.
Towers said that the Paris operation will be complementary to the existing London-based European team who provide modelling, structuring and placement support as well as handling business in Benelux, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
These appointments follow seven senior hires recently in North America in the Property Catastrophe, Executive Liability and P&C Consulting Services areas and three in London in non-marine property, aviation, satellite and property non-proportional treaty reinsurance areas.