Gallagher, the global insurance broking and risk management company, today announced the UK appointment of specialist corporate M&A tax advisor Tom Hughes as Director of Tax Insurance to its fast-growing EMEA-wide Private Equity and M&A (PEMA) practice. Tom will join Gallagher on 5 January 2026 in the UK, building on recent tax specialist hires across Europe as Gallagher deepens its investment in specialist risk expertise to further expand its range of client-focused solutions for businesses engaged in acquisitions, mergers and other transactional corporate activities.
Tom joins from EY where he has spent the past five years as part of its Corporate M&A tax team, most recently as a Senior Manager in the International Tax & Transaction Services team specialising in M&A. A chartered accountant by profession and specialist tax advisor for the last 10 years, Tom will report to Giles Hambly, Head of Tax Insurance in the UK. He brings a comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end deal process related to due diligence, acquisitions and disposals, and tax structuring, combined with extensive experience in the provision of tax advisory services to private equity-backed portfolios, mid-market and fast-growth groups, and multinational corporates.
Over the past year, Gallagher has made a series of hires across Europe to create a leading team capable of supporting clients undertaking M&A activities, those operating across the private capital sector, and those executing a broader range of corporate transactions and activities. In addition to a number of hires in the Warranty & Indemnity class, in September this year Gallagher announced the appointment of tax specialist Cristina Montserrat Chaparro Vaquero as a Senior Broker, and Pau Lopez Fornons as Associate Broker, to support clients across Iberia. Prior to that, Joyce Koch and Vera Dembski were appointed as M&A tax insurance broking specialists, supporting clients across Benelux and Germany, all of whom have extensive experience in 'Big Four' firms.
Commenting on Tom's appointment to the UK team, Steve Jones, CEO of Private Equity & Transactional Risks in the UK, said: "The UK tax insurance market has grown significantly over the past five years, driven by high levels of M&A activity, company restructuring, portfolio recapitalisation and increasing complexity and risk in the broader tax environment. To ensure we can proactively support any client with specialist tax insurance solutions, we will continue to invest in highly experienced, deeply respected practitioners like Tom who can tailor our support and solutions to best meet their needs.
"As we continue to build out our UK PEMA team as part of the wider EMEA and global practices with talent from both within and outside the industry, we are focused on delivering innovative and impactful risk transfer solutions across a range of segments and situations. I very much look forward to welcoming Tom in the new year."