Gallagher today announced the appointment of James Whittingham as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of its UK & Ireland business. He will take over the role in April next year and will replace current COO, Charles Crawford, who is retiring at the end of 2027. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.
James is presently Chief Financial Officer for Gallagher's UK & Ireland Retail division, a role he has held since he joined the broker in 2019. James has over 25 years' experience and has additionally worked at Equiniti, RSA and RBS during his career. In his new role, he will join Gallagher's UK & Ireland executive team and report to Michael Rea, CEO of Gallagher in the region.
Commenting on the appointment, Michael Rea said: "I know James well having worked with him in my current role and also as CEO of Gallagher's retail operations and I am delighted he has agreed to take on this hugely important role in my executive team. As Chief Financial Officer of our UK & Ireland Retail division, James has a real understanding of the commercial and operational priorities that underpin our business and he brings strong financial, commercial and operational perspectives. Charles and James will work together from April next year until the end of 2027 to ensure a smooth transition.
"I would like to recognise the enormous contribution that Charles has made to Gallagher as COO having joined us in 2016. Over the past decade, he has played a pivotal role in driving many major change programmes as well as overseeing our operations on a day-to-day basis. During his tenure we have gone through considerable growth and change and his leadership, judgement and commitment have been hugely valuable to our organisation."
James Whittingham added: "This is a fantastic opportunity to build on the strength of the business and work with our talented teams to support our continued growth. Gallagher has a strong culture, ambitious plans for the future and, most importantly, great people. I'm looking forward to working with colleagues across the business to help turn that ambition into action, strengthen how we operate and ensure we continue delivering the very best for our clients."
