Charles Taylor InsureTech launches first MENA office in Dubai

Insurance industry consultancy Charles Taylor InsureTech has launched an office in Dubai – to be led by experienced tech consultant Shahid Safdar.

Insurance sector specialist Charles Taylor InsureTech has launched its first MENA office, based at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in the UAE. Charles Taylor InsureTech is a tech-focused consultancy within the global insurance professional services provider Charles Taylor plc – which has a headcount of 3,000 across 30 countries worldwide, including existing branches in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the Emirates.

Established in 2015, Charles Taylor InsureTech serves insurance industry clients through tailored technology-enabled solutions to simplify operations, improves agility and remove inefficiencies, with offerings in areas such as broking platforms, claims, processes and document management, data streamlining and digital distribution. According to the firm, the launch of its new MENA office is designed to meet a growing demand in the regional insurance market.

The new practice will be led by Shahid Safdar, appointed Charles Taylor InsureTech Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Safdar crosses after two years with Takaful Emarat in Dubai, where he served as Chief Digital Officer, before which he amassed over 15 years as a consultant in various geographies with some of the world’s biggest consulting firms – including Grant Thornton, KPMG, Ernst & Young and Deloitte.

Having spent two years each at Deloitte and EY in London – followed by a three-year stint as a senior managing consultant with Satori Consulting between the UK and US – Safdar then joined KPMG in the Middle East as a director and IT advisory lead for various country practices, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. From there he crossed to Grant Thornton as Head of Technology Advisory in the UAE before departing in 2017.

“I am delighted to welcome Shahid to my management team,” said Charles Taylor InsureTech CEO Jason Sahota, who himself came to the firm via KPMG. “His business change and transformation experience means he will be well-positioned to support and drive change for insurance companies and brokers in the region. We believe there is a great opportunity for Charles Taylor InsureTech in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Since its 2016 inception, Charles Taylor InsureTech has quickly spread to various corners of the globe, with offices launched in the UK, US, Asia and throughout Latin America while acquiring leading regional insurance technology business Inworx last year. The firm was also appointed to provide a global delegated authorities platform for Lloyd’s which is at the center of its digital transformation programme.

“We anticipated – and I think we are now seeing – that the global insurance market has a real imperative to address the technology challenges that the market faces, and that there is a need and a drive to embrace new technology,” Charles Taylor group CEO David Marock told industry news platform Insurance Business last year. In the firm’s last financial report, Marock stated; “We have seen Charles Taylor InsureTech come of age as a sizeable, sustainable business with rapid growth prospects.”