Howden, the global insurance and reinsurance broking group, has announced the appointment of Nick Stace OBE to the newly created role of Chief Global Impact Officer, effective January 2026.
Stace joins Howden from Barclays Bank, where he runs social purpose and sustainable finance for its UK arm. He also holds chairing roles at The Prison Reform Trust, The Conduit, and the Government-backed Willow Review for small businesses.
Prior to that, Stace was UK CEO of The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust), CEO of Saga Travel, a founder of three youth-based charities, and a board member of both the Financial Conduct Authority and the National Trust.
Rowan Douglas, who has led Howden’s Risk and Resilience team since June 2023 and has played a key role in advancing the company’s climate risk and resilience proposition, has decided to leave the company to take on a new challenge. He will remain a key advisor to Howden and will work with the firm on future projects.
David Howden commented, “Our ambition to be a Force for Good for our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work is central to our 2030 vision. Over the last five years, we have made major progress, establishing ourselves as a recognised leader in this sphere. We’ve developed world-first products for clients and planted insurance firmly on the global climate agenda. And we’ve enabled the most advanced insurance and risk management solutions to become accessible to the most vulnerable. Whether bringing the insurance market together to launch Humanity Insured or by growing the Howden Foundation’s impact in enabling people to build resilience against extreme heat.
“But we’ve only scratched the surface of the potential of insurance to drive positive change. I look forward to welcoming Nick to help us keep pushing the boundaries and changing the way the world sees risk and insurance.
“I’m grateful to Rowan for his leadership and for paving the way for our future success. He has put Howden on the map as the leading insurance voice in the Climate Risk and Resilience field and I’m glad that he will continue to advise us as we look to further grow our global impact.”
Stace added, “‘Howden has led the way in the insurance sector, demonstrating how insurance can be a catalyst for change, addressing the greatest challenges of our time. I believe the insurance sector is more relevant now than ever before, unlocking company and countrywide investments and solutions at scale. I can’t wait to join Howden and help lead this next chapter, that will define the impact we can have across the world.”
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