Gallagher Australia CEO Sarah Lyons has been appointed head of the broking giant’s London-based specialty division, effective from July.

The local business says the hunt is now on for a new head.

“We wish Sarah all the best with her onward journey with Gallagher and thank her for her amazing contribution while here in Australia and Asia,” a spokesperson told insuranceNEWS.com.au today.

“Sarah has worked tirelessly to advance the Gallagher business proposition for our staff, clients and insurer partners. Her energy, empathy and determination has resulted in significant growth and cemented Gallagher’s reputation as a preferred industry place to work, as well as a leading Australian broker.”

Ms Lyons’ time at Gallagher Australia has also included a stint as COO. As CEO of Australia, she added Asia to her responsibilities in 2023.

She joined after the 2014 acquisition of OAMPS, where she was head of commercial broking in Melbourne. She has previously worked in London, Manchester and Leeds in the UK, according to her LinkedIn profile, and spent time at Halifax Insurance Ireland.  

In her new role, Ms Lyons will join the UK executive leadership team and report to Gallagher UK broking operations CEO Michael Rea.

Her work since taking on the Australian CEO role in 2017 has shown “her excellent leadership credentials”, Mr Rea says.

“She has an incredible reputation with colleagues, insurance carriers and clients alike,” he said.

“Her deep understanding of general insurance and Gallagher’s global business make her perfectly placed to lead our 1100-strong London-based specialty team through its next phase of growth.”  

Gallagher Specialty works with multinationals and insurance brokers worldwide, providing bespoke program design, risk placement and consulting.  

“The team has ambitious plans for 2025 and beyond, and I look forward to working with the divisional leadership of each specialist team and the wider talent within the overall specialty business to achieve those goals,” Ms Lyons said.

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