Gallagher has announced the appointment of Craig Dowell who is joining to establish a new heavy industry, mining and complex property practice for its Middle East & Africa (MEA) business.
Craig brings a wealth of broking and client-side experience and joins Gallagher from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) where, since 2021, he has been the in-house insurance manager for one of the MEA region's largest companies and the world's leading premium aluminium producer. In this role he was responsible for the firm's global insurance strategy requiring extensive knowledge of different risks facing this very complex large business.
Before joining Emirates Global Aluminium, Craig was Practice Leader for Heavy Industries at Marsh in Dubai for 18 months, and prior to this he worked at Aon for around 18 years in a series of senior roles, based in London. This included eight years in its international property division specialising in heavy industry and a further 10 years in its UK retail business working for a range of UK clients. Craig will join in early September and report to Nadim Seeman, SEO of Gallagher in the Middle East & Africa. His appointment follows Gallagher recruiting Bruce Dettling to run its newly formed global mining practice, with Craig and Bruce working closely together in their new roles.
The MEA region's heavy industry, in particular metals and mining, is predicted to grow steadily in the coming decade, supported by significant government investment, which is focused on diversification of the local economy in the GCC1. Given the complex nature of firms operating in this space including the significant capitalisation, heavy machinery, complicated processes, and risks including financial, geo-political, cyber and supply chain threats plus regulatory risks a high level of technical understanding is important for any broker working for businesses in the sector.
Commenting on the appointment, Nadim said: "Craig is a fantastic new appointment for our MEA operations. He brings many years of broking experience, and more recently knowledge gained client side, so he has great insight into the support that firms operating in this industry require from their insurance partner. His broad geographic experience gained locally in MEA, in London, plus from overseeing Latam teams means he is well placed to understand the challenges and opportunities facing firms and we are thrilled to be welcoming him to Gallagher."
