Brown & Brown’s wholesale brokerage segment Bridge Specialty Group has appointed Tim Coles as the new CEO for its European brokerage operations.

Coles will start in the new position on 1 January 2024.

Coles, who began his insurance career at Howden, most recently served as the CEO of Xenia Broking Group, part of Kentro Capital.

UK-headquartered brokering company Kentro Capital was acquired by Brown & Brown in October 2023.

During his 13-year tenure at Howden, Coles first served as the CEO of Howden’s London broking business and was later promoted as the CEO of Howden Broking Group.

Bridge Specialty Group president Stephen Boyd said: “Over the last few years, we have been diligently enhancing our London brokerage capabilities.

“The acquisitions of Lonmar and BdB, in addition to our longstanding London brokerage firm Decus, have provided Bridge Specialty Group with an increasingly diverse set of capabilities in terms of segment specialisation and geographic reach to better serve the evolving needs of our customers.

“We are excited to announce Tim’s promotion to CEO of Bridge Specialty’s European brokerage operations. He will work closely with existing leaders across our London brokerage business to further grow our platform while providing additional market access and products for customers across the globe.”

Bridge Specialty Group, which was launched in 2021, includes more than 25 speciality brands and operates from 50 different locations throughout the US, UK and Europe.

Brown & Brown Europe CEO Mike Bruce said: “We are delighted that Tim is taking on this newly created role, as he combines the experience of operating within the London Market with a proven track record of leadership and delivering business growth.

“Our London brokerages provide complementary resources across a number of risk categories by combining the abilities of a superbly talented group of colleagues and teammates.”