Chris Jones

Chief Executive

Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ACIS)

Following completion of a Masters degree in business law, Chris started his career in the insurance industry in 2000 and was previously the IUA’s Director of Legal, Underwriting and Claims. He was appointed as the association's Chief Executive on 1 May 2025.

Email Chris Jones

Nicola Yuill

Business Services Executive and Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive

Nicky brings 25 years of Executive Assistant and business services experience to her role as Business Services Executive and Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive. Since joining the IUA in January 2019, she has combined high level executive support with business operations responsibilities, acting as a trusted liaison for the CEO across internal teams, senior leaders, and external stakeholders. Her role spans strategic diary and communication management, coordination of Board and Committee governance, oversight of key internal processes, and supporting cross departmental initiatives to ensure the smooth running of the association’s executive and business functions. Nicky also manages a range of member facing activities and plays a central part in resource and operational planning on behalf of the CEO. She remains actively involved with the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), contributing to wider market collaboration through her long standing industry relationships. In addition, Nicky is Chair of the IUA Executive Assistants Group, which she founded in 2020. The group now exceeds 100 members and provides a vibrant networking and knowledge sharing forum for EAs, personal assistants, and business support professionals across the London insurance market.

Email Nicola Yuill  

Louise Day

Chief Operating Officer

Louise Day is Chief Operating Officer at the IUA and has over 30 years’ experience delivering IT and change projects at a senior level across the London market and wider financial services sector. Louise joined the IUA in 2015 to oversee company market involvement in market business process modernisation projects. Alongside her responsibilities for operations, Louise is the IUA’s nominee director on the Velonetic and London Insurance Market Operations & Strategic Sourcing (LIMOSS) boards. She also represents the IUA on the shareholder committee for Velonetic. Previously Louise was involved in the Blueprint2 programme, ensuring that the company market were represented in all aspects of the initiative from design to governance and assurance as well as contract negotiation. Before that she was involved in many major initiatives, including the e-placing platform PPL and the London Market Target Operating Model.

Email Louise Day

Lydia Hedges

Office Manager and Personal Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer

Lydia joined the IUA in 2017 and is now responsible for overseeing everyday management and operation of the IUA office, whilst supporting the Chief Operating Officer in key projects.

Please contact Lydia for:
- Queries to the Chief Operating Officer
- Appointments with the Chief Operating Officer
- Matters relating to IUA operations, including IT, suppliers and health & safety

Email Lydia Hedges  

Scott Farley

Director of Communications

NCTJ National Certificate Examination in Journalism

Scott began his career as a journalist, working on regional newspapers in south London and Norfolk before joining the editorial staff of Insurance Day as a Senior Reporter. He was Press and Communications Manager for the online reinsurance trading platform Inreon and then joined the IUA in 2003.

Email Scott Farley

Paul Hodge

Director of Finance

Paul joined the IUA in 2016 and is responsible for the overall management of the association's accounting functions, ensuring compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements. Paul is a CIMA qualified accountant with a wealth of financial experience. Prior to joining the IUA he spent 18 years with DXC in various accounting roles covering insurance, technology, group finance and shared services sectors.

Email Paul Hodge  

Aaron Perry

Receptionist/Office Administrator

Aaron joined the IUA in 2020 and and is the point of contact for all general enquiries to the association. He assists with the arrangement of IUA committee meetings and provides general office support.

Email Aaron Perry  

Burcin Demirel

Senior Market Analytics Executive

Certificate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (Cert CII)
Award in London Market Insurance (ALMI)

Certified iMIS Administrator (CiA)

Following completion of a Masters degree in Geophysical Hazards at UCL and previous experience working in financial services Burcin started her insurance career by joining the IUA in 2011. Her main responsibilities include producing new market statistics reports and analysis, managing and monitoring the association’s member contact database and engagement analytics. 

Email Burcin Demirel  

Joe Shaw

Director of Claims

Cert CII (Certificate of the Chartered Insurance Institute)

Joe leads the IUA’s claims services. He is responsible for the IUA’s strategy for claims and ensuring members are represented on London market claims matters, with a focus on promoting excellence in the claims sector. This work is supported by our Claims Strategy Committee, comprising senior claims leaders of IUA members. The association also operates a number of class of business claims groups, and has a strong focus on attracting, training and retaining claims talent.

Joe joined the IUA in 2013 and has worked across our Public Policy, Underwriting and Claims teams. In addition to his claims role, he is the IUA lead on several classes of business, including Accident and Health, Construction and Engineering, Contingency, Cyber, Energy, Property, Marine, Political Risk and Trade Credit, and Surety.

Email Joe Shaw

Tom Hughes

Director of Underwriting

Cert CII (Certificate of the Chartered Insurance Institute)

Tom is responsible for overseeing the IUA's underwriting strategy. Working alongside Chief Underwriting Officers and experts within the IUA's diverse market committees, he focuses on promoting and highlighting excellence and innovation in underwriting practices across the Company Market in London.

Tom joined the IUA as an apprentice in 2014 and was appointed a Senior Executive in September 2020. He focuses particularly on aviation and casualty (re)insurance and supports the IUA Clauses Committee’s work on promoting contract clarity.

Email Tom Hughes

Pria Punni

Senior Underwriting and Claims Executive

Pria joined the IUA in January 2026 as a Senior Underwriting and Claims Executive, working closely with the Directors of Underwriting and Claims to support the Association’s strategic objectives and delivery of the Business Plan. She works directly with several line of business committees, including Accident & Health, Contingency, Property and Casualty. Pria has spent 8 years in the London market, beginning her career at AIG in 2018 as an Underwriting Technician. She later moved to Travelers to work within the Lloyd’s market across Accident, Health and Aviation, before joining AXA XL in 2025 as a P&C Underwriter writing Sport and Leisure risks. Having worked across three IUA member companies, she has built strong relationships with insurers and brokers across the market.

Email Pria Punni

Ela Metalia

Underwriting and Claims Executive and IUA Futures Lead

Ela has been at the IUA since October 2022 as a member of our Underwriting and Claims Team. She supports several line of business committees including Aviation, Casualty, General Liability, Construction, Personal Accident & Health and Contingency.

Ela is also the 'IUA Futures Lead', which involves co-ordinating our offering for NextGen practitioners in the early stages of their career working in the London company market. The IUA Futures programme includes networking events, presentations, technical training and other educational initiatives.

Email Ela Metalia

Faye Hepburn

Underwriting and Claims Executive

Faye has been with the IUA since July 2024 as a member of the Underwriting and Claims Team. She is the IUA's lead for financial and professional lines committees, including the Banks Underwriting Group, Directors & Officers Underwriting Group, Professional Lines Claims Committee, Transactional Liability Committee, Commercial Crime Underwriting Group, Professional Liability Underwriting Group, the Professional Indemnity Forum and the Construction PI Forum.

Email Faye Hepburn

James Walker

Underwriting and Claims Technician

James joined the IUA in January 2026 as a member of the Underwriting and Claims Team shortly after graduating from Lancaster University with a BSc Hons in Economics. He supports various underwriting and claims committees, including Property, Construction & Engineering, Personal Accident & Health, Contingency, Surety and NextGen Aviation.

Email James Walker

Evie Newman

Underwriting and Claims Technician

Evie has been at the IUA since July 2025 as a member of the Underwriting and Claims Team. She supports several lines of business committees including Energy, Marine, Specie, and Political Risk/Trade Credit, as well as the IUA's wordings work across the Clauses Committee and Aviation Insurance Clauses Group. Prior to starting at the IUA Evie also completed a qualifying LLB Law degree at Cardiff University.

Email Evie Newman

Kristy Tunstall

PA to the IUA Underwriting and Claims Team

Kristy joined the IUA in 2016 and has worked in the insurance sector since the 1990s. She is the primary contact for any queries relating to The Institute of London Underwriters and supports both Directors of the IUA’s Underwriting and Claims division. Kristy can also assist with questions relating to the administration of the IUA’s Professional Indemnity Forum Examination.

Email Kristy Tunstall

Nafisah Hussain

Director of Public Policy

Nafisah, a lawyer and experienced regulatory risk consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the insurance industry building strong working relationships with senior stakeholders including influence, advice and support to key decision makers. Having come from an in-house regulatory background she joined the IUA in 2020 as a Legal Executive. She heads our Public Policy team servicing the association's work in respect of international and government affairs and looks after the IUA Legal & Regulatory, Compliance, Indirect Tax and Prudential committees.

Email Nafisah Hussain

Kirsty Morrice

PA to Nafisah Hussain, Director of Public Policy

Kirsty joined the IUA in 2018 and is now responsible for supporting the Director of Public Policy and the Public Policy Team.

Email Kirsty Morrice

May El Mantawy

Public Policy Technician

May has been part of the IUA’s Public Policy Team since July 2024. She leads the association’s Cyber related, Climate Risk and Sustainability Committees, and supports several of the IUA’s strategic policy areas, including Compliance & Environmental Underwriting. Her role includes tracking global sanctions developments and contributing to the IUA’s monthly sanctions updates. Alongside this, she conducts horizon scanning on regulatory trends and coordinates the association’s responses across key member groups.

Email May El Mantawy

Robyn Barnes

Public Policy Executive

Robyn stared her career as an insurance clerk in the renewals department at BG Insurance before becoming an underwriter's assistant at Hardy Underwriting, in the Cargo and Specie team, and then at Navigators Underwriting in their Marine Liability team. In 2014 she joined Marsh McLennan as the account manager for the Bowring Terrorism Quota Share Facility before joining the IUA in 2018 as a Legal Services Executive in our Public Policy team.

Email Robyn Barnes 

Kim Darrington

Director of Market Operations and Transformation

Kim leads the IUA’s work to transform business processes in the London company market by driving a modernising agenda of digitisation and automation. She has over 20 years experience in the insurance industry, beginning her career focussing on claims and subsequently working for both broker and carrier organisations.

Kim is responsible for helping ensure IUA members are engaged in key market-wide digitalisation initiatives and the ongoing management of market systems and processes. Our Market Operations and Transformation Team ensures that member views are heard in the development and management of central services, which are critical to the continued success of the London Market.

Email Kim Darrington

Vicky Thomas

Senior Market Operations and Transformation Executive

Vicky has spent over 25 years working within the London Market's Joint Venture in a variety of roles and brings the benefit of her recent product management involvement with digital transformation projects to the IUA. Vicky is part of the team focused on representing and promoting IUA member interests in all aspects of market digitalisation. 

Email Vicky Thomas  

Deborah Finch

Events Manager

Deborah began her insurance career as an underwriting assistant with the Wurttembergische (previously The Folgate) before joining Nelson Hurst Insurance Brokers as a secretary to the directors of the Non-Marine South American Division. She has also worked in marketing and as personal assistant to the European director of an American-based magazine. Deborah joined the IUA in 2004 and manages all IUA events.

Email Deborah Finch

Annalise Gandy

Events Assistant

Annalise joined the IUA in January 2026 as our Events Assistant after three years honing skills in hybrid, networking sessions and conferences. She supports the IUA Events Manager, utilising her experiences in onsite event setup, registration and guest liaison, ensuring each event runs smoothly from preparation through to execution.

Email Annalise Gandy