The UK P&I Club, one of the leading providers of P&I insurance and other services to the international shipping community, has created a new role of Regional Claims Director in each of its main service hubs, enhancing global claim capability for Members.

In response to the retirement of Jeff Lock, Global Technical Claims Director, the Club has reviewed its regional claims response, creating the Regional Claims Director role to better serve its markets in Europe, Greece, The Americas and the Far East.

All the Regional Claims Directors have extensive knowledge and experience of the UK Club itself and claims in their locality. Luke Lane and Tom Starr will serve as Regional Claims Directors in Europe, with Mark Beare, Seán Geraghty, and Tom Rittweger fulfilling the roles in Greece, Asia-Pacific and The Americas respectively.

Each Regional Claims Director will have overall authority for all P&I claims in that region with the aim of decentralising responsibility, and facilitating swift local decision-making rather than a top-down approach.

As part of the restructure, the Club has also announced the promotion of Genevieve Holloway, who has been with the Club since 2007, to Senior Claims Director.

Alan Mackinnion, Chief Claims Officer at UK P&I Club says: “With the retirement of Jeff Lock, who served the Club so impressively for 10 years, we’ve had a rethink on how to best handle claims globally. Decentralising decision making and investing in our regions, and people, will make us more efficient, agile and responsive to our Members.

“The five people stepping up into the Regional Claims Director positions have enviable on-the-ground experience and know-how, and we’re confident that they’ll be a huge success in reshaping our global claims services.”

Source: UK P&I Club