The Specialty Insurance
movers and shakers

In the world of Underwriting we are difference makers.

We provide service which is fast, attentive, thoughtful and deliberate, providing brokers and corporate clients with exactly what they need.

We are a team of specialists: impeccably qualified; hugely experienced; and sparkling with talent, supporting each other and you.

With a positive, values driven working culture which encourages the creativity and bravery of our team to learn, share and contribute to the success of our firm, the work of our client/partners as well as raising standards within Specialty Insurance. 

We design innovative insurance solutions. We believe in data, to better inform the decision making of our empowered underwriters. We believe in tech to bring fun back into underwriting.

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Rising Edge Management team

Philippe
Gouraud

CEO and Founder

International insurance leader with over 30 years’ experience in the Global and London insurance industry. I judge our own performance based on what our business partners and clients say of us.

Isabel
Alvarez

Head of HR
and Comms.

FCIPD Qualified Employment Relations and People expert with an Industrial Relations Degree and broad experience.

Doug
Robare

CUO

Douglas Robare is an international insurance executive with extensive experience in underwriting, governance and complex specialty risks. He has held senior leadership and regulatory roles across multiple markets, focusing on building and scaling specialty insurance platforms. His work combines technical underwriting discipline with a strong focus on client outcomes and innovation.

Owen
Dacey

Head of Compliance, Claims and General Counsel

UK qualified solicitor with 10 years experience handling international management and professional liability claims.

Andres
Gaviria

CFO

Andres has proven UK and international experience partnering Executive Leadership Teams on all aspects of corporate and strategic finance, financial planning and analysis.

Rising Edge M&A team

Niki M. Demirbilek

Managing Director and founder

Managing Director and qualified lawyer in Germany and New York, vastly experienced having held senior positions in several blue-chip Insurance and Law firms. Niki founded AMANIKI.

Emanuela Mercadante

Senior M&A Underwriter

Emanuela is a dual qualified Solicitor and Italian Lawyer, an expert in corporate and commercial cross-border transactions.

Martin
Rauhut

Analyst M&A Insurance

Martin holds a degree in Business Law and has worked as a Legal Consultant in e-commerce and trans-national commerce.

Jutta
Woodhall

Frankfurt Office Manager

Jutta steers our W&I underwriting process: NDA processing, submissions dynamics and daily office operations.

Rising Edge Operations team

Lisa
Didia

Finance Assistant

Lisa read PPE at the Uni. of Manchester, is now learning the Insurance industry.

Aneesha
Pancha

Opps. Manager

Aneesha holds a BSc in Sports Science and has been an D&O Underwriting Assistant, and a Project Analyst at the Bank of England.

Morgan
Newman

Legal and Tech Analyst

Morgan is A Family Law Bar Association member with a MA in Law from UCL.

Non-Executive Directors

Kelly Lyles

Non Executive Director

International insurance leader with 35 years’ experience in underwriting and general management in global commercial insurance. Has lived and worked in the United States, the United Kingdom and France and has held global roles based in London with remits covering Europe, AsiaPac, LatAm and the USA and Canada.

Nick Moore

Non Executive Director

Certified Business Psychologist, specialising in leadership and creating high performing teams. Nick was a serial entrepreneur in the music industry in the 1990s, culminating in co-founding the UK’s first music dotcom. He has spent the last 2 decades helping various businesses scale up to become leaders in their sectors.