Liberty Specialty Markets names London president

Effective December 2023, Prato will take on the role of London president responsible for setting, owning, and executing the strategy for the London insurance business. He will report to LSM president and managing director Phil Hobbs.

Prato will also work closely with London CUO Melanie O’Neill on the annual plan for London and drive a successful client and broker strategy, aligned with LSM’s risk appetite and broader market conditions.

Commenting on the appointment, Hobbs highlighted Prato’s long-standing experience and capabilities.

“Luis is a respected market leader with long-standing experience and a proven track record of delivering underwriting profitability in large organisations,” Hobbs said. “LSM offers a wide range of products, a market-leading brand proposition, and a long-term, considered approach to risk. With Luis leading our London business, I am confident we will continue to deliver exceptional solutions for our London clients and broking partners.”

Recent appointment

Prato took on the newly created role of London president after Zara Ismail, who was the head of insurance business development at law firm RPC, moved to LSM early this month.

Ismail has over 15 years of experience in business development and client strategy in the legal and insurance sectors. As the head of business development – claims (London) at LSM, she will be responsible for identifying, developing, and communicating strategies on how the claims function adds value while managing the LSM claims proposition and delivering an annual claims business development strategy.