Heather Thomas

2007 to date                Heather Thomas Consulting

Solicitor and sole principal: project management, interim management, mediation and arbitration in the insurance and reinsurance sectors.  Details of specific roles on request.

Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Member of the arbitration panel of ARIAS (UK) and an accredited mediator
Non-executive director of The Veterinary Defence Society Ltd (member of Audit and Risk Committee) and of CNA Insurance Company Ltd (member of Audit Committee and chair of Risk Committee)

2005 to 2007               WELLINGTON UNDERWRITING PLC (now Catlin Group Limited)
General Counsel and Company Secretary

WELLINGTON UNDERWRITING AGENCIES LTD
Compliance Officer

Senior member of Wellington executive management, on Executive Committee.  General Counsel to plc, Company Secretary of plc and managing agency, and Compliance Officer of managing agency.  Reported to CEO operationally and to Chairman on plc Board and Governance issues. 

Principal interface with Lloyd’s and FSA, lawyers, auditors and other professional advisers.

Drove complex legal and regulatory aspects in resolving principal corporate issues affecting Wellington:

• aftermath of 2005 Hurricane season
• improvement of governance arrangements
• disposal of legacy investment in Aspen Insurance Holdings
• proposed re-domicile to Bermuda
• relationship with third party syndicate Names
• take-over by Catlin

1998 - 2005                 LOVELLS (now Hogan Lovells)
Insurance and Reinsurance Group
Consultant

Member of management team in Insurance and Reinsurance Group, a major practice within the firm.  Reported to managing partner of the Group.  Composite role in fee-earning, marketing and professional support.

Client Work

• Built up and managed one of the major clients of the Insurance and Reinsurance Group, conducting contentious and non-contentious business.   
• Involved in range of other fee-earning relationships, including financing transactions, M&A, and distribution agreements for banks and affinity groups.

Marketing/Professional Support

• Created and developed client and market segmentation analysis and targeted marketing programme.
• Prepared respected quarterly Insurance and Reinsurance Bulletin and numerous other marketing-focused articles.
• Created manual of Insurance and Reinsurance practice.  Participated in recruitment, mentoring, training and appraisal of associates.

1982 - 1998                 WILLIS GROUP (formerly Willis Corroon/Willis Faber)
Legal and Risk Management and Market Security Departments

Legal

• Contained contingent liabilities arising from professional indemnity claims in various jurisdictions (including in the UK many Lloyd’s Names’ actions and pensions mis-selling),  – many significant – by thoughtful defence management.
• Managed international and UK transactions, including:
• Acquisition of Stewart Wrightson Holdings plc (England)
• Acquisition of Corroon & Black (United States)
• Acquisition of Gras Savoye (France)
• Provisional liquidation of Sovereign Marine & General (England) and its aftermath.

Management

• Responsible for the accuracy of the Group’s reserves established to meet professional liability claims.
• Director of a wholly-owned Lloyd’s managing and members’ agency managing a distressed marine syndicate in run-off.
• Supervision of the reinsurance to close of the Group’s managed syndicates following divestment
• Negotiation of the brokers’ contribution to Lloyd’s Reconstruction and Renewal.
• Managed the relationship with the Group’s captive insurer in Guernsey.
• Reorganised the Market Security Department so that it became both fee earning and provided a re-engineered product. 
• Purchase of the Group’s insurances and managed related training
• Managed departmental capacity.  Set and maintained professional standards, ensuring that advice was independent, objective and correct.
• Designed management information annual reports for Legal and Risk Management and Market Security Departments.  Focused on Willis Group’s savings resulting from these departments’ services.

 1978 - 1982                 LINKLATERS & PAINES
Commercial Litigation
Assistant Solicitor

1977 - 1978                 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION
Legal Adviser

1975 - 1977                LINKLATERS & PAINES
Articled Clerk