Credit and political risk insurance broker BPL Global has appointed James Esdaile and Sian Aspinall as joint managing directors, with effect from January 1, 2016. Tim Cullis has also joined the company as chief financial officer.

Esdaile and Aspinall succeed Robin Harper, who continues as a director of the BPL group after 20 years as managing director.

“This is about continuity. We’ve reached the stage of our development where we need a more visible, client-facing MD team,” Charles Berry, the company’s chairman, tells GTR. “We are indebted to Robin Harper for his role in BPL Global’s development since its early years, and for securing these latest steps in our succession plans.”

Esdaile joined BPL Global in 1997 as a graduate trainee, while Aspinall returned to the company in 2014 after working as a senior political risk underwriter for AIG and Zurich.
Cullis was previously CFO and CRO of Amlin Investment Management.

The company says the hires are in line with its commitment to remaining an independent, employee-owned broker. “There’s been a great deal of M&A activity in the last year or so in the broking field. We’ve no intention to join in,” explains deputy chairman Anthony Palmer to GTR.

Commenting on her new position, Aspinall says: “BPL Global’s approach has always been to place our clients’ needs at the heart of everything we do. We are determined to continue that approach, in the face of a changing business environment for specialty insurance classes like ours.”

Going forward, she says the company will be looking to consolidate its business in Dubai. “We’re also seeing good growth potential in Asia Pacific.” She confirms that BPL Global will be hiring in Hong Kong, Singapore and London next year.