Aon names Alistair Clarke Head of Specialty in Australia

Aon has appointed Alistair Clarke as Head of Specialty in Australia, placing a London market executive in charge of a national portfolio spanning several complex insurance lines.

Clarke will lead Aon's Specialty portfolio in Australia across areas including cyber, mergers and acquisitions, trade credit, surety and financial institutions. He will be based in Sydney.

Clarke will report to Kevan Johnston, CEO of Australia for Aon. He will also join the Australian Executive Leadership Team.

London experience

Clarke brings more than 23 years of London market experience to the role. He joined Aon in 2009.

Before relocating, Clarke led the Cyber, Commercial E&O and Intellectual Property team within the Financial and Professional Services division of Aon's Global Broking Centre in London.

His experience spans specialty lines that include cyber, intellectual property, professional liability, financial institutions, technology risks and medical malpractice.

Specialty focus

In the new position, Clarke will take responsibility for the strategic direction of Aon's national specialty portfolio. The remit includes market opportunities, emerging risks and growth areas.

The role also covers changes to products, services and delivery models across Specialty.

Aon's statement indicates that the Specialty portfolio covers clients in complex, high-risk and regulated industries. The company listed cyber, mergers and acquisitions, trade credit, surety and financial institutions as key areas.

Specialty insurance lines have attracted increased attention across the market as organisations respond to shifting cyber exposures, evolving regulation and supply chain disruptions. Mergers and acquisitions insurance has also grown in profile among transaction advisers and buyers, alongside demand for credit and surety products linked to construction and trade activity.

Leadership team

Johnston positioned the appointment as part of a broader push around Specialty in Australia.

"Alistair brings deep Specialty expertise, a global market perspective and a strong client‐first mindset to this role," said Kevan Johnston, CEO of Australia, Aon.

"His ability to connect teams and translate complex risk into practical, integrated solutions for clients will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our Specialty offering and deliver better outcomes," said Johnston.

Aon also pointed to Clarke's work in the London market on product development. It said he played a key role in developing products and facilities.

The company said Clarke has supported many of Aon's largest clients across Australia and New Zealand from his London-based position. It linked that work to experience with local market conditions and client requirements.

Clarke said he will relocate to Australia and take up the new role at a time when risk issues cut across multiple domains.

"I'm excited to relocate to Australia and take on this role as clients face increasingly complex and interconnected risks," said Alistair Clarke, Head of Specialty, Aon.

"I look forward to working with our talented teams to bring the full breadth of Aon's Specialty capabilities together to help clients make better decisions and build resilience," said Clarke.

Aon operates globally as a professional services firm focused on risk and people issues. The company said it has colleagues serving clients in more than 120 countries.

Clarke will take up the leadership position in Sydney as Aon continues its work across specialty insurance lines in the Australian market.