Category: Press Release

McGill and Partners moves into ports and terminals with multiple strategic hires 

We have expanded our marine offering to include a dedicated Ports and Terminals Team with the appointment of Julien Hubbard as Head of Ports and Terminals.  

Julien is joined by Mark McKinnell, Daniel Wells, Alex Jonesco, Dan Green and Elena Stefanova. These colleagues bring a wealth of experience in Ports and Terminals as well as an additional breadth of knowledge to our growing Logistics and Transportation book. Julien joins us from Tysers where he led the drive into marine liabilities, ports and terminals and war risks for the last 19 years.  

While at Tysers he was also a member of the Marine, Aviation and Terrorism Board and was instrumental in the successful push into Asia and Latin America. Earlier in his 33-year career Julien was a marine broker with CE Heath and latterly Miller.  

Daniel Wells joined us in April 2022. He had formerly worked for Associated British Ports (ABP) the UK’s largest port group. Daniel is well versed in all manner of marine operations and is an Institute of Occupational Safety (IOSH) certified cargo handler with cargo handling in ports (CHiPS) certification. He is also a former junior officer in the Royal Naval Reserve and has a master’s degree in international relations. 

Alex Jonesco joined us in April 2022; he had previously been at Tysers where he helped manage the global marine liability portfolio. Alex has also been an underwriter at Carina, a fixed P&I carrier, and held positions at RBS and Chubb. He has worked in the insurance industry for more than 10 years.  

Dan Green has been with us since June 2022 when he started as a partner and dedicated claims specialist. He previously spent 10 years at Tysers. Dan has also worked at the Financial Ombudsman and has a Bachelor of Law degree.  

Elena Stefanova joined the firm as a partner in the claims team in January 2023. She specialises in claims advocacy, technical processing, and liaison with all parties, involved from initial notification through to collection of funds and settlement. In her 15-year career, most recently she was associate director at Tysers, overseeing the ports and terminals claims team and holds a MSc International Finance degree.  

Julien Hubbard, Partner and Head of Ports and Terminals at McGill and Partners said: “I am looking forward to heading up this immensely capable team and expanding McGill and Partners’ marine team with this new line of business. It is an exciting time to join a firm that is going from strength to strength, I look forward to being part of the wider team as we continue to broaden the scope of what McGill and Partners offers its clients and partners.”  

Gordon Longley, Head of Marine and Cargo at McGill and Partners commented: “Julien, Mark, Daniel, Alex, Dan and Elena bring a wealth of experience in ports and terminals and having a team of dedicated experts in this area also complements our existing marine expertise. I am delighted to welcome them on board and look forward working with them as they play their part in the development and growth of the McGill and Partners.” 

McGill and Partners expands its US operations and opens its New York HQ

We have expanded operations in the US and opened a US HQ in New York. The announcement follows two years of strong international growth for the firm, including significant high profile client wins, notwithstanding the challenges of a global pandemic and ongoing global market uncertainty.

Our firm was founded in May 2019, following significant financial backing from Warburg Pincus, one of the oldest private equity firms in the world. Since then, the firm has driven one of the most ambitious talent acquisition strategies the broking world has ever seen and has become a destination of choice for some of the brightest talent in the industry.

McGill and Partners has grown rapidly to 428 colleagues globally serving over 400 client accounts, whilst placing circa $3bn of gross written premium into the London and international markets in 2021.  The company is one of the fastest growing specialty (re)insurance brokers in the world, with revenues of $60m in 2020; $123m in 2021; and is on target to exceed 65% organic revenue growth for the first half of 2022 with strong momentum for the full year.

As it continues its rapid expansion, the Company has announced the appointment of Joe Trotti as President and Warren Mula as Executive Chairman of the US operations.  With more than 30 years’ industry experience in leadership positions with AIG, Willis and JLT, Trotti is an expert in developing bespoke (re)insurance solutions.  He will assume the role of President alongside his duties as Global Head of Aviation & Aerospace.

Mula joined McGill and Partners after 40 years’ service with Aon, having previously served as President of Aon Risk Solutions and CEO of Aon Broking.

Trotti and Mula, will be responsible for leading the US business alongside Steve McGill (Group CEO) who will hold the additional position of Acting US CEO.

“We are excited to bring a unique and flexible partnership model to the world’s largest (re)insurance market and to be a disruptor in this space.  We operate as one team internationally, navigating the entire (re)insurance value chain to deliver highly effective risk transfer solutions to the most sophisticated clients.

“With Joe and Warren leading our US operations, we have two noted industry figures, with decades of specialist broking expertise, who will build out our team whilst reinforcing our unique culture and practitioner led offering,” said Steve McGill, Founder and CEO of McGill and Partners.

“We believe the US market will find McGill and Partners’ customized approach to be a refreshing change. We were established under the principles of doing things differently.  We are selective in the clients we work with and the firms we partner with. We are proud of what we don’t do and will continue to live by our commitment to focus ‘narrow and deep’ in our specialist areas of expertise.” said Joe Trotti.

“Our culture is what sets us apart right from the get-go. We believe in being an undivided team, working flexibly with clients and strategic partners to find solutions to the most complex and challenging needs. Wherever the talent exists, the solution exists. All colleagues are owners in the business, which reinforces our colleague centric approach focused on delivering the best results possible for our clients.” said Warren Mula.

James O’Gara, Managing Director at Warburg Pincus commented: ‘The progress made since McGill and Partners was founded in 2019 has been beyond our most positive expectations. It is remarkable that in only three years from start-up, the firm has grown to become a major player in the highest tier of the industry, with a proposition that has clearly resonated with top clients and talent. The firm’s expansion into the US marks an important next step for the business as it expands its support for clients and works in partnership with other high quality brokerage firms and insurers in the largest (re)insurance market in the world.”

McGill and Partners is licensed to operate in all 50 US states. With its newly opened US headquarters, located in Rockefeller Plaza, in New York City, the US operations consists of 60 experienced professionals.  They specialize in Property, Aviation & Aerospace, Marine & Cargo, Financial Lines (D&O, M&A, Cyber), Structured Solutions, Facultative and Treaty Reinsurance. 

McGill and Partners is focused on the larger clients and/or clients with complex and/or challenging needs. This client base, which is predominantly being served by the global brokers, is typically highly sophisticated and is looking for alternative options, particularly in the design, structuring and placement of their (re)insurance needs. McGill and Partners provides customized solutions to this segment and, dependent upon client need, works in partnership with other leading high-quality brokerage firms and/or (re)insurers to provide superior solutions and services to these clients. McGill and Partners has a one-team approach that includes an industry leading capital intermediation model that has McGill and Partners accessing the entire (re)insurance value chain to deliver exceptional results to clients.

The opening of its US headquarters is part of McGill and Partner’s ambitious plans to grow its client base in the world’s largest (re)insurance market. The New York City office complements McGill and Partners’ operations in other leading (re)insurance markets, including London and Bermuda.