Insurance broker Howden has hired Edmund Arghand as head of credit, political risk and surety (CPS) for Asia, a newly created role.

Based in Singapore, Arghand is tasked with driving growth within the broker’s CPS portfolio and has a particular focus on structured credit. He started at the firm on July 7.

He will serve a range of clients, including financial institutions, corporates, export credit agencies and multilateral institutions, a Howden spokesperson says.

Arghand brings over a decade of experience in credit and sovereign risk underwriting, and most recently spent two years as a director at broker BMS Group.

He previously held senior underwriting roles at HDI Global Specialty, Zurich Insurance Group, as well as positions at Brit Insurance and Beazley, having worked in both London and Singapore throughout his career.

Jenny Lim, CEO of Howden Singapore, says: “Edmund’s expertise and leadership will be a great addition to the team in Singapore and will support our ambitious plans to expand the CPS portfolio here and in the region,” adding that Asia possesses “immense opportunities for growth”.

Howden’s global head of credit, Matthew Strong, says the hire will bring “significant value” to its offering in Asia.

“His appointment is another step forward in continuing to offer our clients market leading expertise in capital solutions globally, especially in today’s increasingly complex risk environment. I look forward to working with him closely to grow our Asia portfolio,” Strong adds.