Our Executive Team

Carolyn was appointed Commercial Lines Director in 2020. Carolyn joined Covéa Insurance in November 2017 as the Head of SME and Schemes before becoming the Commercial Lines & High Net Worth Director in May 2019.

Prior to joining Covéa Insurance, Carolyn has many years’ leadership experience within the insurance market. Her career started as Marketing Director for the start-up business Premierline and from here, she led the launch, development and growth of the commercial division at Swinton as Director of Commercial Insurance. More recently, Carolyn was responsible for business development and the marketing strategy of Towergate’s SME and Advisory Broking operation.

Carolyn has a proven track record of successfully growing businesses through building strong, mutually beneficial relationships and maintaining clear focus on the needs of the end customer.

Laurent was appointed Chief Risk Officer in October 2012 with responsibility for risk management, compliance and the implementation of Solvency II.

Prior to the formation of Covéa Insurance, Laurent was Head of Solvency II for Covéa International, a position he had held since September 2011.

Laurent has worked in the insurance and reinsurance industry for over 20 years and prior to joining Covéa International held various actuarial and executive roles with French insurers GAN, Groupama and April Group.

Laurent has a Masters in Statistics and Economics from the French Statistics and Economics Agency, a Masters in Mathematics from Paris-La Sorbonne and qualified as a French Actuary in 1994.

James was appointed Managing Director, Personal Lines & Protection in October 2020. Within this role James has executive accountability for the Motor, Home, Pet, Income Protection, Personal Accident and Life products. Before this role James had been the Corporate Development and Strategy Director since May 2019.

Prior to Covéa Insurance, James has had extensive experience in a variety of financial services roles. He was director of Partnerships at Aviva UK between 2006 and 2008, before joining Siemens financial Services, where he was CEO of their UK and Nordic business until 2017. More recently, James was Managing Director of Commercial Risk Solutions at RSA.

James has a degree in Management Sciences from the London School of Economics and an MBA from Cranfield University.

Graeme Howard was appointed Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) in February 2019. Graeme is responsible for leading and evolving Covéa Insurance’s
technology transformation strategy and technology innovation, as well as driving improvements in delivery and services for the benefit of both our internal and
external customers.

Graeme has a wealth of experience as a senior IT professional, having held a number of director level roles at Motorola Solutions Ltd and most recently as Group CIO at Santa Fe Relocation Ltd. He has experience of leading transformational projects as well as being responsible for all technology matters at executive level.

Simon was appointed Actuarial Director in October 2012 and has responsibility for capital modelling and reserving for both personal and commercial lines, along with business intelligence.

Prior to the formation of Covéa Insurance, Simon was Deputy Managing Director of Provident Insurance, a position he had held since 2006. Simon joined Provident Insurance in July 1996 as Personal Lines Manager and qualified as a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in November 1998. Simon was appointed Actuarial Director in June 2000.

Simon has worked in the insurance industry for over 20 years, having previously worked in actuarial roles for both Sphere Drake and St Pauls International.

Maria Leighton was appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer of Covéa Insurance in June 2019 before officially joining us on a permanent basis in March 2020. Maria has responsibility for the financial reporting and business planning process for the company.

Maria has a wealth of leadership experience gained in senior finance roles with a number of insurance and financial services businesses, including Aviva, Engage Mutual and Rural Insurance.

Maria’s experience in leading strategic financial planning processes and overseeing transformation programmes will bring significant benefits to Covéa Insurance.

Lisa was appointed People Director in December 2019. Before this Lisa had been the Director of HR & Learning since October 2015, following 3 years as Head of HR & Learning for Covéa Insurance. Lisa is responsible for leading, developing and implementing the HR & Learning strategy and culture.

Prior to this, Lisa had worked for Provident Insurance since 1995 where she held roles in both claims and Learning & Development.

Lisa is a chartered Member of the CIPD, has a post-Graduate in Organisational Development and Design and is a qualified MBTI practitioner. Additionally in 2020, Lisa also qualified as a ILM 7 Executive Coach.