Howden appoints Holger Schaefer as CEO of German businesses

Howden, the international insurance broker, announced today that it has appointed Holger Schaefer as Chief Executive Officer, Germany, to lead its companies in the country.

Germany is an important market for Howden, where it owns a group of selected ‘best in class’ specialist businesses, which combined make it the country’s sixth largest insurance broker.  

Schaefer joins Howden on 1st September after more than 30 years working for the Allianz Group.   Schaefer latterly held international roles as Regional CEO for Asia Pacific for Euler Hermes since 2016 and previously CEO of Allianz’s Corporate and Specialty business in Australia and New Zealand.  Prior to that, he was part of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, Germany for 20 years, where he held senior positions in underwriting and sales, managing multinational clients.

His new role will mean a return to his home country to lead Howden’s ambitions for the German market by building on its strong presence, harnessing the businesses and their expertise to deliver innovative and seamless solutions for clients.  Schafer will also focus on strategic acquisitions of other culturally aligned companies, and investing in talent and digital transformation.  

The appointment of Schaefer as CEO, Germany follows the recent announcements of Felix Jenny as CEO, Switzerland and Luigi Sturani and Enrico Nanni as CEO and CCO, Europe, respectively.

Commenting on his appointment, Schaefer said: “I am thrilled to be joining Howden at this exciting time as its ambitions for Germany and for its wider European platform are being realised.  Howden is delivering on its strategy for growth and I’m delighted to be part of it.  Howden’s ‘People First’ approach and culture of employee ownership is appealing to both clients – from SMEs, through to mid-market firms and multinationals – and also talent looking for a credible alternative in a consolidating broker market.”

José Manuel González, CEO, Howden Broking, said: “I am delighted to welcome Holger to the group, who will lead our continuing expansion in the German market, building on the success we have delivered there so far and taking it to the next level.  Our ambition is to be one of the top three brokers in key markets across Europe through strategic acquisitions, organic growth and investment in talent.  Holger’s appointment shows that we are consistently delivering on our plan and we are proud that he has chosen to join us.”