Howden Re announced Hayley Schell’s appointment as Managing Director in South Africa on 1 October 2026. She is due to join the company on 1 November and will be based in Johannesburg. The appointment places an experienced insurance and reinsurance executive in a senior local role as Howden Re says it continues to invest in South Africa and the wider Middle East and Africa region.
What Schell’s role will involve
Howden Re says Schell will report to Attilio Tornetta, Managing Director and Head of Howden Re MEA Treaty & Regional Retro. She will also work closely with Gary Ankcorn, Managing Director of Howden Re South Africa, and the wider local team. The announcement describes her remit as Managing Director in South Africa; it does not set out further operational responsibilities.
Her experience and reported career history
Howden Re says Schell brings “more than 34 years of experience in non-life insurance and reinsurance broking and underwriting leadership.” That is the company’s description of her experience.
Reinsurance News reports that Schell spent eight years at Swiss Re as Regional Manager P&C Southern Africa | Vice President | Europe, Middle East & Africa, and previously worked as a Senior Broker at Guy Carpenter. That employment history is reported by the trade publication rather than included in Howden Re’s announcement. Reinsurance News’ report.
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Why Howden Re says it made the appointment
The company presents the hire as part of continued investment in South Africa and the wider Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Its stated aim is to pair local expertise with a more connected regional platform; the announcement sets out that intention, not evidence of future commercial results.
Ankcorn said Schell was joining at an important time for the market, citing a widening protection gap and pressure on insurers, municipalities and government from catastrophe and climate risk. He said Howden Re’s specialty, parametric and alternative solutions teams, combined with local and regional expertise, could help provide practical answers for clients. These are Ankcorn’s assessments and the company’s description of its capabilities, not independently established market findings in the announcement.
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Tornetta said Schell’s knowledge of the South African market and client relationships would support the business as it grows its client base in South Africa and across the region. Mario Baotic, Head of International Growth Markets at Howden Re, described the appointment as evidence of the company’s commitment to local talent and long-term investment in South Africa and MEA.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcement does—and does not—establish
- Confirmed: Howden Re announced the appointment on 1 October 2026, with Schell due to join on 1 November, based in Johannesburg.
- Company rationale: Howden Re says the hire supports its local market investment and a more connected MEA platform, and that its specialist capabilities can be combined with local and regional expertise.
- Not established: The announcement gives no independent market statistics and no results from Schell’s tenure. As of 3 October 2026, her announced start date was still in the future.
The appointment is therefore best understood as a leadership and growth signal: Howden Re is adding senior local experience to its South African operation, while the practical effects for clients and the business remain to be seen.
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