Executives

Mark Birrell

Chief Executive Officer

Mark has over 35 years’ experience within the insurance industry. After 20 years in the Lloyd’s broking community, Mark co-founded Wildnet Group with Benfield.

In April 2004, he led Wildnet’s MBO before stepping down from his CEO role in April, 2013.

Mark joined Castel in July 2013 and has overseen the successful launch of the business and the creation of its first underwriting cells.

Mark was elected to the Board of the Managing General Agents Association (MGAA) in February, 2016.

In his spare time, Mark enjoys running, cycling and sailing.

Roland Hill

Chief Financial Officer

Roland is Castel’s Chief Financial officer and his responsibilities include all financial reporting, business planning and treasury for Castel and its cells.

Roland qualified as a chartered accountant with Littlejohn Frazer (now PKF Littlejohn) before moving into the insurance industry. In 2012, he joined the Barbican Insurance Group as the Group’s financial controller before taking up the role of Finance Director for Castel and Barbican’s other intermediary companies in 2014. In 2016 Roland joined Castel’s board of directors.

Outside of work Roland enjoys running, cycling and following Welsh rugby.

Raoul Carlos

Chief Underwriting Officer, UK

Raoul is Castel’s Chief Underwriting Officer in the UK, having recently being promoted from Head of Underwriting where he was responsible for underwriting performance and portfolio management for Castel’s Specialty classes of business.

Raoul’s 10 plus year insurance career has spanned Zurich and London initially underwriting global Onshore energy and Mining business, with the latter half driving strategy and execution of worldwide Downstream, Midstream, and Power business, focusing on cycle and peak volatility management.

In his spare time, Raoul enjoys music, sports, travel and spending time with his wife and two young children.

Colin Rose

Head of Construction and Engineering

Colin has written worldwide construction and engineering classes for 32 years and has been based on London, Germany and the USA during his career. He joined Castel in April 2019 from Beazley where he was Global Head of Construction & Engineering for 15 years leading four platforms writing business in London, USA, Singapore and Latin America. He began his career at St Paul Companies, and from there spent time with Cologne Re in Germany and Cigna/ACE and GE Frankona in London.

Colin has a background in all types of construction and engineering insurances, including over the years contractors all risk, engineering all risks, advanced loss of profits/delay in start-up, machinery breakdown/business interruption, power generation, contractors equipment and all associated classes, and all writes on both an annually renewable and single project basis.

Colin graduated from Kingston University in 1986 with an honours degree in Economics, Politics and German.

In his spare time he enjoys all sport, playing and listening to music, walking, and hard work in the garden.

Gert van Middelkoop

Chief Underwriting Officer of Castel Europe

Gert graduated in 1989 from the Nautical Academy with an initial fourteen years’ experience as a marine surveyor/loss adjuster of which the last seven years as a managing partner. He started at AIG in 2003 in marine underwriting before helping establish CV Starr in the Netherlands 2008. Gert moved the team to Torus in 2011 and subsequently was promoted to European marine manager. Gert established Navigators in the Netherlands in 2014 and was promoted in 2016 to Head of Marine International Division (OLM). Gert Joined Castel Underwriting Agencies in Rotterdam 1st June 2020.’