Davies names Mike Heard president of North America operations

Davies has appointed Mike Heard (pictured) as president of operations – North America. Reporting directly to Dhara Patel, chief executive of Davies’ North American division, Heard will play a critical role in transforming and simplifying the firm’s operations in North America, the firm said.

Heard, who joined Davies in May 2024 and was previously chief operating officer of Davies’ Life & Health division, has worked in the insurance sector for 28 years. In his new role, he will oversee day-to-day back-office operations, accelerate integration and scale Davies' service delivery model for its clients. He will also be a key member of the senior team responsible for developing and driving the firm’s GenAI strategy.

In May 2025, Davies secured £275 million in new credit facilities to fund investment in GenAI and automation as well as its global strategic M&A activity, and expansion into new geographies across North America, APAC and EMEA regions. This funding underpins Davies’ Vision 2030 commitment to develop and leverage AI and GenAI technology, in order to drive efficiency and provide cost-effective solutions for its global client base.

Commenting on his appointment, Heard said: “I’m thrilled to take on the role of President of Operations for our North American market. I’m eager to build on the strong foundation we have, develop our operational strategy further and deliver greater value to our clients through faster, smarter and more responsive operations.

“In particular, I’m excited to be part of Davies’ automation and generative AI strategy in the North American market, to further boost efficiency and unlock new possibilities for us to innovate. I look forward to collaborating with our talented teams to help shape the future of Davies and position us as a leader in both operations and technology.”

Patel said: “This promotion reflects Mike’s outstanding contributions to our business over the past year. Mike will join our executive team with a focus on centralization and leading the company’s back-office operations. This hire supports our ongoing push to standardize processes, increase efficiency and further innovate across our organization.

“Mike will also play a key role in the development of Davies North America’s automation and GenAI strategy for the North American division, to support our focus on leveraging technology to transform its operational capabilities and deliver exceptional value to customers.”

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