CFC opens first office in Spain

Madrid-based operation to act as hub for building Southern European business

CFC Group News 4 min 26 Sept, 2024

CFC, the specialist insurance provider, pioneer in emerging risk and market leader in cyber, today announces the opening of its first office on the ground in Spain.

Having already strengthened its foothold in North America and Australia earlier in 2024, CFC’s new Madrid-based operation marks a further step in CFC’s stated strategy of expanding its global footprint in order to develop closer relationships and provide local expertise to its broker partners in key territories around the world.

“We’ve built a strong network of brokers throughout Spain and Southern Europe over the past two decades and are experiencing increasing demand for our products and services. To meet that demand and further develop our client base throughout the country, it is the right time to establish boots on the ground,” comments Louise O’Shea, Group CEO, CFC. “Opening our new office in Madrid also allows us to build a hub from which to grow our presence across Southern Europe and in particular deepen our expertise in cyber and transaction liability in the Spanish, Italian and French markets.

“The M&A market is thriving in the region, particularly in Spain, whilst cyber is only going to become ever more important in the large corporate space. Having a team who are fluent in local languages and able to deliver localised wordings in those languages will help us to build our market share further across the region.”

To lead the development of this new regional hub, CFC has appointed Filippo Cibin as Team Leader, Southern Europe for CFC’s transaction liability business.

Cibin is a seasoned insurance professional with over a decade of experience in underwriting across a range of M&A and financial lines insurance products. His career spans Spain, Italy and Germany where he has worked with global businesses including DUAL, Tokio Marine HCC and, most recently, Fusion Specialty where he served as a partner and director of their European business.

Cibin will be joined by Jorge Nieto Luque as Senior Underwriter focused on transaction liability, tax and legal contingency insurance solutions across Southern Europe. With over six years' experience in transaction liability insurance as a underwriter at DUAL and a broker at Marsh, both in Madrid, Jorge was an experienced business and M&A lawyer before bringing his expertise to the insurance industry.

Also joining the team, Oliver Berridge has been appointed Senior Underwriter. With almost 10 years’ insurance industry experience, Berridge has specialised in M&A underwriting and having been educated in France is a fluent French speaker.

“CFC has a strong reputation for delivering outstanding service to brokers and their customers,” adds Cibin. “By combining that service ethic with CFC’s market leading technology and relentless drive to innovate, I am confident that Jorge, Oliver and I can add even greater value to our partners not only here in Spain but across Europe.”

Finally, joining CFC from Beazley, Ilaria Salvato has been appointed Cyber European Team Leader. Fluent in Spanish, Italian and English and having spent the first three years of her professional career at one of Italy’s leading law firms, Salvato moved into insurance 14 years ago and is now a  cyber underwriting manager.

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