West will be the first International Group Club to have a presence in Dubai emphasising the importance of this area to the Club, as well as its continued significance to the wider maritime industry. The office, located in DIFC, will be operational by the autumn.
Captain Gagan Dhillon has been recruited as CEO (Dubai) to lead the regional office and has been in the shipping industry for the past 27 years spending 13 years working onboard tankers before moving shoreside in 2010. He is a Master Mariner with a first-class English Law degree and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA in Shipping from Copenhagen Business School. Previously, Gagan was a Claims Director of another IG P&I Club and is well known in the Middle Eastern and Greek markets.
This new office will focus on claims handling and communications for the UAE, Gulf region and Indian subcontinent, supporting the Club’s existing claims teams in London and Piraeus, which will continue to service this market alongside the newly formed Dubai team. Joint Regional Heads, Nigel Burridge and Gary Henderson, will manage and coordinate underwriting and business development from London working closely with Gagan in his new role. Our new team in Dubai will offer Members the immediacy of service closer to their own time zones, as well as access to industry experts who understand the expectations and demands of the local marine industry.
Tom Bowsher, Group CEO of West P&I, commented: “Regionalisation is a key part of our strategy, and this office will further enhance the quality and personal touch of our services to existing Members, as well as supporting our new business development in the region. A strong local presence will assist us in continuing to build deep and long-lasting business relationships with both Members and brokers, as well as ensuring we remain more agile than our competitors in responding to regional market developments.”
Captain Gagan Dhillon, CEO (Dubai) of West P&I, commented: “I am very much looking forward to being part of West in this increasingly important maritime region. This office and local team will position us at the heart of a growing maritime hub for owners, charterers and traders making it an attractive location in the Club’s regional network of offices”.
As part of these regional changes within the Club, we are also pleased to announce that Enam Hussain has been promoted to Head of Middle East Operations and Offshore, a new position for the West, working alongside the Dubai office, Underwriting and the Claims Teams in London and Greece. Enam’s role will be to coordinate the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Turkey and Africa (MITA) team to ensure alignment with the Clubs overall strategy. Enam will also create and manage an Offshore Team with a global reach across the Club.
Tom Bowsher concluded: “I am delighted by the comprehensive team we have assembled in this important area for the Club, and I extend my warmest welcome to Gagan and congratulations to Enam in their new positions at West. Our service to existing Members is key, and Gagan and Enam perfectly complement our claims office in Greece and our Underwriting function in London. Being the first International Group Club to have an office in Dubai is a clear statement to the market of how much significance and focus we place on this exciting and important area, and we look forward to continuing our investment in this new office and the wider team to ensure we remain the leading P&I insurer in this region.”
source: West P&I
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