HDI Global has announced the appointment of Bob van Alphen (pictured above) as head of engineering underwriting, effective September 15.
Van Alphen will lead one of the insurer’s two engineering underwriting teams, which are organised by region, and will report to François Périquet, global head of engineering.
Based at HDI Global’s headquarters in Hannover, van Alphen will oversee a team of six professionals. The group is tasked with expanding the company’s value proposition in engineering underwriting across several markets, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, and South Africa. He succeeds Ralph Kehrbaum, who will remain with the team and support the transition through a comprehensive induction phase.
Van Alphen began his career in 2014 at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty as an underwriter in energy and construction. He later held various international roles at Allianz before joining Everest Insurance in 2022, where he continued to develop his expertise in global engineering and construction risks.
In his new position, van Alphen will be responsible for further developing HDI Global’s global engineering strategy. He will focus on key markets and work alongside his team to deliver on the company’s objectives in the engineering insurance sector.
François Périquet commented on the appointment, saying, “I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue to act as our clients’ and brokers preferred Partner in Transformation to seize opportunities for profitable growth in Engineering. I wish Bob much success in his new role.”
HDI Global has also made recent appointments in its risk finance division, HDI Enablers. In July, the company named Nelson Castellanos as vice president global markets and Fabien Guilhot as insurance technics director. Castellanos will work with global business partners and support communication strategies for risk finance initiatives, while Guilhot will oversee compliance, policy wording, and coverage matters.
The company reported positive results for the first half of 2025, with insurance revenue of €5.1 billion and a combined ratio of 91.6%. Operating profit reached €377 million, and return on equity rose to 17.4%.
Growth was attributed to new business and contributions from regional branches, including the UK & Ireland, which reported strong growth in property and accident & health segments.
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