Sompo hires Lauren Folkard as head of cyber for London market

Sompo International Holdings has appointed Lauren Folkard as vice president and head of cyber for the London Market.

Folkard was previously a cyber class underwriter at Barbican and has also served in the cyber management team at Chubb.

Julian James, chief executive officer for international insurance at Sompo International, said the hire is part of Sompo’s long-term commitment to cyber. “While clients already face a wide range of cyber exposures, they have become more acute during the Coronavirus pandemic,” he explained. “In this environment, data breaches are more likely, and companies will be at increased risk. Our ambition is to work with our clients and broker partners to deliver the solutions they need to navigate the changing risk environment.”

Folkard described Sompo as “an organization with substantial financial strength and solid underwriting appetite.” Sompo is “well-positioned to address today’s cyber market challenges including malware, phishing and social engineering threats which are all rising as criminals seek to exploit weaknesses of staff working remotely without access to their usual network of advice and support,” she added.