Lloyd’s broker AFL Insurance Brokers had announced the appointment of Jonathan Bines as the new chief executive officer of AFL UK, effective 1 June 2019. His appointment comes as part of the company’s strategic plan for expansion in North America later this year.

In his new role, he will take the lead of AFL’s wholesale and retail operations supported by corporate director Mike Almond and chief financial officer Chris Gagg, as well as the rest of the global leadership team.

Bines has 2 decades of insurance industry experience having previously held roles at Marsh and Integro Insurance Brokers. He joined AFL in April 2018 as chief commercial officer, having previously worked at JLT as senior partner for Specialty Property & Casualty.

His appointment will take place ahead of a new AFL platform in North America, which is planned for later this year.

Bob Finch, AFL Co-Founder and current CEO will relocate to the U.S, becoming CEO of AFL North America, an operation which will support the creation of new independent MGA businesses, and new product lines.

AFL chairman, Toby Esser, said: “Since joining AFL, Jonathan has quickly built a reputation for delivery. His promotion to UK CEO is a reflection of his focus on outstanding service for AFL’s clients and partners, keen eye for commercial opportunities, and commitment to operational excellence; attributes which will be invaluable going forwards. We see excellent opportunities in North American markets, particularly through MGA operations, and AFL plans to expand its presence significantly in this space,”

Adding: “I know Bob relishes the opportunity to lead the North American business, and we look forward to announcing further details on this new platform in due course. For the time being, I’d like to congratulate Jonathan and Bob on these exciting and well-deserved moves.”

Finch also commented: “The UK operations are in very safe hands with such an experienced and capable management team led by Jonathan. At the same time, we see building our presence in North America as a natural evolution for AFL as we look to increase the flow of long term business into London … It’s an incredibly exciting prospect, for both myself and AFL, and I am very much looking forward to leading this drive.”