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Howden Australia hires ex-Marsh claims chief Osborne. Osborne brings legal, claims leadership and governance experience to Howden's Australian business 16 Oct 2026 Howden Insurance Brokers Australia has appointed Catherine Osborne (pictured) as its head of technical & claims, the broker said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday. Howden said Osborne brings deep experience across insurance law, claims leadership and governance. It said her expertise and commitment to client service strengthen its ability to support clients when it matters most. Osborne said she is passionate about helping clients before and after a loss or claim. She said she looks forward to partnering with Howden's clients to share her technical expertise, and described the firm as an "energetic, dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation which prioritises people, clients and relationships." Osborne most recently held the role of chief claims officer for Marsh Pacific. Industry colleagues congratulated her in the comments, including David Lee, a partner at Clyde & Co Australia, and Angus Kench, head of commercial claims at Munich Re Specialty Global Markets. Kench called it a great appointment. A legal and claims background. Marsh announced Osborne's appointment to the newly created role of chief claims officer, Pacific, in December 2021. Previously, she joined law firm Polczynski Robinson with vast experience as a lawyer and company director. Marsh's profile says she spent 20 years as a law firm partner before joining the broker. In that time she acted for finance and insurance clients on professional indemnity, directors' and officers' litigation, cyber risk, privacy, liability, construction claims and class actions. It says she worked on matters involving ASIC, APRA, the ATO and the ACCC, and has experience with royal commissions including HIH and financial services. She also served nine years as a non-executive director of Zurich Australian Superannuation, according to the profile. Why claims expertise matters to brokers. Claims handling showed the biggest gain in Insurance Business Australia's Top Insurance Brokers report for 2025. The report attributed the improvement to industry investment in claims advocacy and technology. It said clients increasingly see brokers as essential allies during stressful claim events. Howden launched in Australia as a broker in March 2021. It named Matt Bacon CEO that June, alongside Stuart McKellar as head of commercial and affinity and Nick Chubb as head of financial lines. All three came from Marsh. Howden said at the time that the Australian business would focus on specialist segments including financial lines, corporate risks, commercial and affinity, workers' compensation, group risk and alternative risk transfer. Group CEO David Howden said Australia had been a key strategic market since the group launched DUAL in 2004.

Howden Australia appoints Catherine Osbourne as Pacific head of technical, claims. Howden Australia has named Catherine Osbourne as its new head of technical and claims in the Pacific, according to a LinkedIn update on Thursday. Sydney-based Osbourne has joined Howden from Marsh, wh... To continue reading the full article and get full access to the InsuranceAsia News platform, please enquire about a subscription. Your company may already have a corporate license in place. * McLarens' Nathan Baran swaps Sydney for Singapore, named regional loss adjuster * October 14 He is in his second stint with McLarens, having also worked for Marsh, Aimtech, and local insurance broker O'Regan Group Insurance Brokers. * Zurich taps Scott Yin as China unit CEO * October 14 He was formerly with Axa Tianping for over a decade. * Zurich appoints Martin Noble to expanded role as greater China CFO * October 13 Noble is currently CFO for Hong Kong and has been working at the insurer for nearly 13 years. * Howden Australia drafts Marsh team for sport, entertainment practice build-out * October 13 'In a significant investment in the sector', the broker appoints Simon Calabrese as head of entertainment and leisure, while four other former Marsh employees join as senior associates. Partner Content * Zurich | Why resilience will define the winners of Asia's clean energy transition Planning for future conditions from the outset can improve operational reliability, reduce potential disruption and protect long-term asset value. * Sedgwick | Captives in Asia: From Niche Solution to Strategic Risk Platform Captive insurance has evolved from niche tool to strategic risk infrastructure in Asia, with connected claims data seen as key to unlocking its full value. * BlackRock | Rethink the rules: how TAA and ETFs are reshaping portfolio construction BlackRock's Daniel Caderas and MSCI's Raman Aylur Subramanian explain why tactical asset allocation (TAA) and exchange-traded funds (ETF) have become essential as global markets fragment and static allocations lose their reliability. * BlackRock | Infrastructure comes of age for insurers Are insurers capturing full value from the asset class? BlackRock shares its perspective.