Global insurance and reinsurance brokerage group Howden has appointed José Ignacio Lathrop as executive chairman of Howden Latin America (LatAm).
In his new role, Lathrop will leverage his deep market expertise to guide and support Howden’s operations in Latin America, working closely with International Growth Markets Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sonia Caamaño to drive growth across the region, empower talent to deliver solutions to clients, and maintain close connections with the region’s key markets.
The appointment reflects Howden’s intention to accelerate regional growth as demand for risk solutions surges. Lathrop will join Howden upon completion of his contractual obligations to his current employer.
It has also recently made a series of strategic acquisitions to expand Howden’s regional presence in Latin America, including the acquisition of Contacto in 2023, Innova Re in Peru in 2025 and Ureta & Fernandez in Chile in 2025. The broker is also rapidly expanding its retail brokerage platform in the United States.
Lathrop has more than thirty years of experience in the Latin American insurance market. Most recently, he served as CEO of Marsh Chile, where he also ran operations in Argentina and Uruguay. Prior to this, Lathrop established and established JLT operations in Chile.
Camano commented on the appointment: “The Latin American insurance market is one of the fastest growing in the world, with GWP growth of 11% per year from 2019 to 2024, outpacing many regions around the world. Over the past year, we have focused on our fundamentals – executing strategic acquisitions, strengthening our leadership and fully integrating our business.
“We are now poised to take the region to the next level, which is why I am delighted that José Ignacio has joined us as Executive Chairman of Latin America. Not only does he have a proven track record of building businesses from the ground up and growing them across regions, he is also widely respected in local markets and with insurance companies. José is a long-time friend and former colleague that I have long admired in the industry. I am delighted that we will be working together again to deliver on our ambitious growth plans.”
Howden CEO David Howden added: “The future for Howden Latin America is very exciting. We are very keen to grow in the region and appointing someone of José Ignacio’s caliber as our Executive Chairman is a huge statement of intent. In addition to unparalleled entrepreneurial experience, José brings in-depth retail and reinsurance knowledge gained during his distinguished career.”
“Simply put, no one knows better how to best serve clients across all business sectors. This is another example of exceptional entrepreneurs joining us because they know they will have the freedom, tools and support of a global broker to provide unparalleled service to their clients.”
