OUR TEAM
Joe Alldred — Claims Manager
Joe started his career in the aviation market as a claims broker, later becoming a claims adjuster. He accumulated seven years’ experience prior to switching classes of business with the non-marine/casualty market where he received a further 13 years’ experience as a claims broker/manager. Joe’s main focus of territories within the non-marine casualty space has been UK, North America and Australia. He has been with Zeus Brokers Ltd. from the company’s inception and is currently enjoying his responsibilities as claims manager and as a senior member of the Zeus team.
Peter Blackshaw — Chief Operating Officer
Peter brings over 26 years of London market experience to Zeus Brokers Ltd., spanning all aspects of the broking function. He graduated university in 1992 with a degree in physics and secured his first job in corporate retail insurance broking. He quickly moved within the group to the marine and energy division, working in UK wholesale broking within the North Sea oil and gas sector. He transitioned from the UK wholesale space to international wholesale, specialising in general liability in territories such as Canada and Australia. Peter brought his extensive experience to Zeus in June 2017.
Nate Binskin — Broker
Nate has been working in the insurance industry for more than 15 years. Having built up an in-depth technical knowledge working as a claims adjuster for a number of international insurers, he joined the placing team within Zeus Brokers Ltd. in January 2018. Following success in North America/Canada, Nate, along with managing director Chris Curd, set out to build a U.S. casualty book. After conducting extensive market research during 2018, and after carefully selecting which U.S. partners to work with, 2019 saw Zeus’ first year of placing U.S. casualty business at Lloyd’s. Building on a successful start, Nate continues to service Zeus’ existing casualty clients with a primary focus on U.S. excess and surplus lines business.
Abbey Butler — Technician
Abbey began in the insurance industry working in data and analytics in Toronto, Canada. She completed a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Guelph and, in 2019, moved from Toronto to London to join the Zeus operations team as a technician.
Carly Cappuccio — Senior Broker
Carly started her career in 2001 as an underwriter’s assistant. In 2004, Carly made the transition to broker. In 2018, she joined Zeus, bringing along her expertise in professional indemnity, medical malpractice, and directors’ and officers’ insurance.
Chris Curd — Managing Director
Chris embarked on his insurance career in 2006 after completing his university degree in marketing management. In October 2016, he jointly launched Zeus Brokers Ltd. His role currently encompasses the facilitation from start to finish, including the placement of open market and binder business for Canadian, U.S. and Australian casualty business.
Dylan Darke — Claims Handler
Dylan began his career as a claims adjuster in Vancouver, Canada in December 2014. He then spent the next four and a half years adjusting personal and commercial lines claims across Western Canada. Dylan made the move to London and Zeus Brokers UK in January 2018 and is enjoying all the London market and the city itself have to offer.
Tina Franklin — Finance Manager
Tina joined Zeus in February 2020 after working alongside them as a third-party service provider since they started trading in late 2016. She looks after all of the insurance funds flowing in and out of the business. Tina has over 25 years’ experience in the London insurance market, previously working at several brokers and Lloyd’s managing agents.
Matt Gould — Broker
Matt joined the placing team in June 2019 after spending over four years handling international casualty claims. Matt originally trained as a lawyer, but fate landed him in insurance. Since successfully slotting into the placing team, Matt has been able to utilise his industry experience to become a strong addition to Zeus Brokers Ltd.
Chad Hancock — Chief Executive Officer
Chad began his insurance career in 1999, working part-time for a Canadian adjusting firm, while attending McMaster University. Following the completion of his degree, Chad entered the insurance industry full time, starting with a management training program focussed on underwriting and claims. Chad spent the next 10 years working for Canadian independent adjusting firms, focussing on large casualty losses, prior to moving to the UK as the Canadian claims manager for a Lloyd’s broker. An evolving underwriting and work culture in the London market highlighted the need for change in placing, client support, and employment practices, which ultimately resulted in Chad and his partners launching Zeus Brokers Ltd., a culture and client support focussed boutique broker that creates sustainable insurance solutions.
Max Heal — Claims Technician
While Max’s previous background and experience may not seem transferable to the insurance industry, he says it has in fact been of great advantage during his time at Zeus. For the year prior to joining Zeus, Max ventured briefly into the modelling industry, where he developed the ability to interact confidently with high-ranking individuals in society, helping him to create a successful rapport with his clients. He also spent time in the construction industry, during which he learned that starting each morning ready to go is the key to success.
Melissa Jolly — Broker
Melissa began her career in the domestic insurance market, subsequently taking on commercial SME clients and then working on a corporate portfolio for a mining and construction team. This gave Melissa exposure to the world of Lloyd’s of London, where she set her sights on continuing her career abroad. After eight years of working in the Australian market and after receiving her financial services diploma (insurance broking), she ventured over to the United Kingdom in 2017 to pursue international casualty wholesale broking and joined the Zeus family in 2018.
Lee Meredew — Broker
Lee started his career in 2014. His first job was at a reputable brokerage in London where he remained for 18 months, building general knowledge in insurance before leaving to join Zeus in October 2016. As one of Zeus’s first employees, Lee has grown with the company, transitioning from technician to broker. He is an integral member of the team and shows initiative and drive with all aspects of work.
Jordan Orton — Insurance technician
Jordan joined the Zeus team in May 2019 as an insurance technician after graduating from the University of East Anglia with a bachelor of science/mathematics degree. Since joining the team, Jordan has progressed from a predominately administrative role to taking the first steps to becoming an insurance broker. On a day to day basis, Jordan provides help and support to the senior brokers.
Kathy Parsons — Technical Manager
Kathy started work as technical manager for Zeus in 2016. She specialises in binding authority contracts and delegated underwriting. Prior to this she was delegated underwriting manager for a managing agent, and she began her insurance career in the accounts department in 2003. Kathy’s qualifications include a bachelor of science in mathematics from the University of London. She has also completed the CII diploma in insurance, and the CII certificate in contract wording.
Aaron Reeve – Broker
Aaron began his insurance career in 2009 at a reputable London broking house as a claims handler, where he spent five years working on international casualty business. Having gained a fundamental understanding of the insurance industry, Aaron soon advanced over to the placing side where he has since placed business within the PI & CGL market. Having joined the Zeus team in 2020, Aaron brings with him a good understanding of both the international casualty market and the insurance industry itself.
Rob Riches – Broker
Rob joined the placing team in February 2020. His insurance career has seen him locally handle claims and then process claims as a technician. He joined the Lloyd’s market as a claims broker and transitioned into placing prior to joining Zeus. Working with both the specialty team and CGL team, Rob quickly settled in and enjoys being involved with the energetic environment of Zeus, both in and out of the office.
Natalie Smith — Technician
Natalie started her career in 2013 as a broker technician within an international casualty team. After a couple of years, she developed her role into a binding authority technician, managing the team’s binders and lineslips. She joined Zeus Brokers Ltd. in November 2018 as a technician, where her focus is on slip production as well as bordereaux management and renewing the team’s binders and lineslips.
Gary Wingrove — Underwriting Manager
Gary began his career in 2005. Located within the major accounts team working on large UK client renewals, he started in an account handling role, but also gained a strong understanding of the technician and processing roles within insurance. In 2007 Gary moved to another firm, transferring his skills working on their Canadian CGL Binder book. Gary joined Zeus Brokers Ltd. in November 2016 where he is currently employed as underwriting manager.
Clare Wishart — Operations Assistant
Clare joined Zeus in February 2019 as an experienced personal assistant within the insurance industry, providing support to underwriters and brokers throughout her lengthy career. Predominantly supporting the three main directors as well as the larger team, she has taken up a more varied role in her position at Zeus. Clare brings organisation and efficiency to the Zeus structure.
Laura Hodge — Director, Property
Laura started her insurance career in 2001 for an underwriting consortium and then in late 2002 she joined a broking house in the claims department. Four years later she was appointed claims manager. In 2008, Laura made the switch to the placing team, broking Canadian and U.S. property binding authorities and OM placements. In April 2021 Laura joined Zeus to initiate their property insurance facilities within their existing territories and strengthen cross class offerings.
