Gallagher London has taken on expert political risk broker Keith Thomas as part of the political, project and credit risks team.

Thomas has more than three decades’ broking and underwriting experience in political risk insurance and reinsurance.

He has represented a wide range of parties including banks, exporters, manufacturers and commodity traders, most recently working for almost a decade with HSBC insurance brokers.

Before joining HSBC, Thomas worked on the reinsurance circuit for Sedwick Re and Benfield.

“Few people appreciate the importance of the reinsurance market in shaping the course of the insurance products. Moving from a maximum policy horizon of three years to seven, and then ten, for project business in the nineties was a major step for the professional reinsurance market,” Thomas tells GTR.

Kit Brownlees, managing director of Gallagher London political, project and credit risks speaks further to GTR: “The credit crisis has accelerated the demand for complex structured credit and political risk solutions and experience and expertise is ever more important. Keith brings these qualities to our rapidly expanding team.”