The latest from Ardonagh Netherlands;
Ardonagh Netherlands, the Dutch arm of The Ardonagh Group, one of the world’s largest independent insurance distribution platforms, is pleased to announce the appointment of Wim Hekstra as Chief Executive Officer.
Wim joins Ardonagh from Bain & Co, where he was a Senior Adviser working on a number strategy and M&A projects in the financial sector. He also served as a supervisory Board member at, among others, ASN Impact Investors. Prior to this, he spent five years at Aegon Netherlands as a Board member and Chief Operating Officer and has held senior management roles for Sun Life Financial and ING’s insurance and life operations in Hong Kong. Consequently, Wim brings significant sector and transactional experience to Ardonagh.
In his new role commencing 1 June, Wim will drive forward Ardonagh Europe’s growth strategy on a regional scale as the business further strengthens its proposition in the corporate, SME and high-net worth brokerage markets.
Wim takes over from Sunny Léons who will continue to support Ardonagh’s Netherlands. Sunny joined Ardonagh in 2022 when it chose Léons Group (“Léons”) as its first acquisition in continental Europe.
Sunny oversaw successful growth in the Netherlands for Ardonagh with subsequent acquisitions of Klap Verzekeringsmakelaar (“Klap”) an independent, specialist commercial and personal lines broker, which was established in 1854, making Klap Ardonagh’s oldest brand, and Classicus, a high-net-worth broker, which specialises in products for classic and luxury cars, yachts and art collections. In January, Ardonagh Netherlands also acquired a majority stake in Private Insurance Assuradeuren B.V. (PIA) an MGA specialising in products for high-net-worth individuals, and Private Insurance Nederland B.V. (PIN), the main distributor of its products.
In 2025, these combined employ 180 individuals and manage €147 million in annual gross written premium.
Commenting on his new role, Wim Hekstra said: “I am excited to join Ardonagh Netherlands at such a pivotal time. Within our platform we have brands renowned for quality and deep expertise in their chosen markets. Together with the local team and our counterparts across Ardonagh’s global network, I look forward to driving the continued success of our business through a culture of collaboration and excellence.”
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