Howden Insurance Brokers Australia has appointed Simon Calabrese as head of entertainment and leisure alongside four senior associates, all joining from Marsh, as it expands its sport and entertainment practice, the company announced on LinkedIn on Tuesday.
Based in Queensland, Calabrese joins Howden after an eight-year stint at Marsh, where he most recently led sport (schemes), leisure and entertainment, and the sharing economy.
He brings extensive industry experience, having worked in entertainment and leisure roles throughout his career. Before Marsh, he worked at JLT Australia and Aon Risk Solutions.
The other appointments include Lauren Coburn, James Schubach, Melissa Fitzsimmons and Sarah Collin, who have joined the practice as senior associates.
Ben Hand, Howden Pacific’s head of sport and entertainment, said, “The combination of talent, specialist knowledge and market experience across the broader team gives us an incredibly strong platform from which to support existing and future clients. We’re looking forward to showing clients what we can deliver.”
The appointments follow several senior hires by Howden across Asia. In India, the broker appointed Abhinav Gujral as president and head of strategic initiatives for employee benefits, alongside Mohd Inam as executive vice president for business development.
In Japan, Howden named Akihisa Hirata head of construction and infrastructure assets, while Sonija Cheng joined as director of financial lines in Hong Kong.
