Howden Re, the reinsurance, capital markets and strategic advisory arm of Howden, has announced further changes to its Swiss platform and leadership team as the company continues to strengthen its presence in Europe.
Switzerland remains a strategically important market, the company said, highlighting its ongoing efforts to build on the platform it established following the acquisition and integration of Haakon in 2023.
Howden Re said the latest developments aim to more closely integrate its Swiss operations with its wider European operations, while strengthening collaboration across the DACH region and improving access to regional and global expertise.
As part of the changes, Howden Re appointed Christian Schaer as head of Howden Re Switzerland. In this role, he will be responsible for the company’s Swiss operations and treaty operations. Howden Re said Schaer has more than 15 years of experience in the EMEA reinsurance market and has particular expertise in Switzerland and the wider DACH region. Prior to joining Howden Re Switzerland in 2023, he served as Senior Underwriter for Property & Casualty in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at PartnerRe.
Howden Re also recognized Ivo Gugolz’s contribution in establishing the company’s Swiss operations, including his involvement in the acquisition and integration of Haakon. The company confirmed that Guggolz will step down from his current role while continuing to assist with the transition in the coming months.
In a further appointment, Howden Re has announced that Michael Hauswirth will join the Swiss business as a director. Hauswirth is based in Zurich, where he joins NewRe from where he served as a senior property treaty underwriter. Howden Re said he brings experience in underwriting, direct insurance and reinsurance brokerage and will support the continued expansion of the company’s products and services throughout the DACH region.
Tobias Andersson, Head of Continental Europe at Howden Re International, commented: “Following the acquisition of Haakon in 2023, we have successfully established a strong and well-positioned platform in Switzerland, and we are now taking the next steps to further strengthen and leverage our capabilities to bring even more value to our customers. As we continue to invest in the DACH region, our focus is on ensuring that our customers benefit from the full strength of Howden Re’s DACH and global expertise.”
Schaer added: “Our focus in Switzerland is on providing integrated customer service across DACH, combining local expertise with the strong connectivity of the wider Howden Re platform. The addition of Michael Hauswirth will be an important addition to our proposition in Switzerland and DACH.”
Howden Re said its DACH brokerage team now includes Christian Schaer, Lars Nelson, Anke Salm, Björn Hagendorf, Pascal Kahraman, Andrew MacKinnon, Eric Mueller and Mirko Prueter. The team is supported by expert colleagues across the wider Howden Re platform within DACH, including Alex Roth, head of capital solutions, Wolfram Schultz, head of European casualty, and Enver Karapinar, interim DACH head, the company added.
Howden Re said the latest appointments and structural changes follow continued investment in DACH temporary markets and the establishment of the German-regulated Howden Capital Markets & Advisory entity.
Andersson further added: “DACH and our valued customers in the region are Howden Re’s top priority. As we continue to enhance our capabilities and grow our business, we are fully focused on maximizing value and service, supported by data and analytics.”