Marsh, part of Marsh McLennan, named James Addington-Smith to take over from Chris Lay as CEO of Marsh UK in early 2026, pending regulatory clearance.
Lay plans to retire in the first quarter of 2026 after a 40-year run, which makes this one of the bigger leadership transitions in the UK brokerage market.
Addington-Smith will steer the strategic direction of Marsh’s UK commercial business. That includes risk management, corporate and commercial client work, specialty broking and risk consulting.
He’ll also link closely with Marsh McLennan leaders to deliver the group’s wider mix of risk, strategy and people capabilities to clients.
According to Beinsure, that cross-firm alignment is becoming a core part of the Marsh playbook.
He joined Marsh in 2010 as marine leader for Asia after years as a senior marine broker in Hong Kong and London. He now serves as president of Marsh Asia and previously led Marsh Specialty in the region.
Before moving into the commercial sector, he served as a British Army officer, a detail colleagues often mention because of his leadership style.
When he steps into the UK role, David Jacob, CEO of Marsh McLennan Asia, will also pick up the title of president of Marsh Asia.
Lay remains CEO of Marsh McLennan UK as well, and the company said it will name a successor for that role at a later date.
