John Stephenson
UK & Australia Leader
UK leadership
Mark Hankin
Chief Operating Officer
Mark Hankin is an accomplished leader with 19 years of experience in the Insurance Industry.
As Chief Operating Officer at Victor UK, Mark is responsible for implementation of business, digital and operational strategies. He leads a team of professionals, driving operational consistency and efficiency across Victor UK.
Mark is recognised for his background in the implementation of digital strategies, automated solutions and data analytics capabilities aligned to business strategy and growth. He is known for leading his team by example, fostering a collaborative and results-driven environment. He believes in honesty, transparency, and teamwork, which guides his approach to leadership and inspires his team.
Outside of work, Mark enjoys fishing, motor sport and spending time with his friends and family.
Simon Parrish
Chief Underwriting Officer
Paula Saxon
Agriculture Product Lead
Paula Saxon is responsible for the underwriting performance and development of Victor's agriculture proposition.
With over 14 years of experience in the agricultural insurance sector, Paula has developed a deep expertise in underwriting, strategy, and business growth.
Prior to joining Victor, Paula spent 11 years at AIUA/Geo Agriculture, with a brief one-year hiatus working as a Church Underwriter at Congregational & General. She returned to Geo Agriculture as the Farm Team Leader for AIUA, where she led the farm underwriting team and contributed to strategic growth initiatives.
Paula also has a diverse background that includes roles in investment management and wholesale broking, including experience at Milestone Insurance Brokers on the taxi insurance team, as well as five years working in third-party administration at Aviva. Additionally, she gained valuable experience working in the financial services sector, holding roles at Schroders, Gartmore, and Invesco, focusing on investment administration, unit trust dealing, and share exchange operations. Paula holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the Open University.
Matthew Richardson
Head of Motor Underwriting
Leo Andrews
Charity, Care & Faith Product Lead
Caroline Weeks
Head of Property & Casualty Underwriting
Michael Ford
Head of Financial Lines Underwriting
Paul Singh
Head of Cargo & Logistics Underwriting
Paul Singh is the Head of Cargo & Logistics Underwriting for Victor UK and is responsible for the overall strategy, service and product delivery.
Paul has over 30 years insurance industry experience with insurers, MGA’s, insuretechs and brokers. He has also successfully created and delivered new marine products into the UK and US Insurance markets.
Rob Aston
Head of Construction, SME & Mid Market Underwriting
As Head of Construction Underwriting – SME and Mid Market, Rob Aston is responsible for leading and developing the construction insurance proposition within Victor’s UK operations. He focuses on delivering a high quality experience for our brokers and building on our strength in underwriting standards, product development and innovation.
Rob Aston is a seasoned insurance professional with extensive experience in the construction and engineering insurance sector. With a wealth of knowledge in technical risk understanding, policy wording development, portfolio management and risk pricing model development, as well as front line underwriting complex risk, his career spans various roles at prominent companies over more than 36 years.
Throughout his career, Rob has demonstrated expertise in developing and maintaining Delegated Underwriting Authority agreements, creating bespoke policy endorsements, and launching market-leading wordings for various insurance products. His experience extends to both UK transactional and London subscription markets, with additional knowledge of Australian, Israeli, and European construction risk.
Susan Diemer
Head of Sales & Distribution
Susan Diemer is the Head of Sales and Distribution at Victor UK responsible for leading the UK sales team and developing the sales strategy for Victor in the UK.
Susan has 25 years of experience in the industry; starting as a graduate at AXA, then working in strategy and proposition development positions at NIG, and most recently as Head of Strategic Partners at Markel. Through her time in insurance she has found her passion in developing good customer outcomes for brokers and end customers alike and loves being in front of brokers, supporting their growth.
She is a Chartered Insurer with an Advanced Diploma from the Chartered Insurance Institute and holds a MA in Management Studies from St. Andrews University.
Paul Thorniley
Head of Compliance, Governance and Risk
Devesh Gauchwal
Underwriting Portfolio Lead
Devesh is responsible for leading and developing the Portfolio Management function at Victor UK and supporting the CUO in achieving desired outcomes across Victor products.
He joined Victor from RSA where he held the role of Portfolio Manager for Professional Indemnity and Financial Lines for RSA UK and Europe. Prior to that, he held roles at Chubb and a Lloyd’s syndicate in the Portfolio Management area across commercial and specialty lines.
Devesh holds a Master’s degree in International Securities, Investment and Banding. Outside of work he enjoys playing cricket, football and spending time with friends and family.
Nicola Needham is responsible for service standards and colleague engagement across the organisation. She has a deep understanding of the intricacies of the customer experience and the importance of providing outstanding service at every touchpoint.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Nicola's expertise spans various roles, including sales, customer service, complaint handling, claims management, and overseeing operations with teams of up to 300 people across multiple sites.
Outside of her professional endeavours, Nicola is an advocate for personal and professional growth. She champions continuous learning and development, both for herself and those around her.
Nicola Needham is responsible for service standards and colleague engagement across the organisation. She has a deep understanding of the intricacies of the customer experience and the importance of providing outstanding service at every touchpoint.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Nicola's expertise spans various roles, including sales, customer service, complaint handling, claims management, and overseeing operations with teams of up to 300 people across multiple sites.
Outside of her professional endeavours, Nicola is an advocate for personal and professional growth. She champions continuous learning and development, both for herself and those around her.
Global leadership
Charles Williamson
Chief Executive Officer
Tanya Astle
US Flood Solutions Leader
Mark Bates
Chief Operating Officer
Tim Carter
Underwriting Strategy Leader
Ashleigh Cashman
MGU US & Capital Strategy Leader
David Cook
MGU Canada & Capital Strategy Leader
Mark Damico
Operations & Technology Leader
Deema Ismail
Finance Leader
Tim McDougald
Growth & Distribution Leader
Tara McGuire
Human Resources Leader
John (Jack) Sallada
Victor Access Leader
John Stephenson
UK & Australia Leader
Brian Thornton
ProWriters Leader