About us

Kate Albert, MSc, brings more than 20 years of Professional Indemnity expertise to Kova. She began her career at Aon and subsequently worked at Chubb and Liberty. After two years as Head of Underwriting at a PI and D&O MGA, Kate founded Kova. She also spent three years at the Financial Conduct Authority, during which she earned an MSc in Compliance and Regulation from Henley Business School.

Kate was awarded a Highly Commended accolade in the MGA Professional of the Year category at the Women in Insurance Awards 2024.

Celeste Newson is the Head of Professional Indemnity at Kova Professions, bringing over 20 years of extensive market experience. Before joining Kova, she served as a class underwriter for Lloyd’s syndicate and company market at Talbot. Celeste’s expertise spans both broking and underwriting, with a focus on professional indemnity risks across a range of professions, including Design and Construction, Architects, Engineers, Accountants, and Solicitors. She is proficient in managing open market and delegated authority business, operating on both primary and excess of loss bases.

Keeley Patten is a Senior Underwriter at Kova Professions with over 20 years of invaluable London market experience. Her career began in Professional Indemnity claims at broking houses Aon and Miller, where she honed her skills before transitioning to the placing side of the industry. Before joining Kova, Keeley served as Senior Medical Malpractice Underwriter at Axis, where she specialised in managing open market and delegated authority business on both primary and excess of loss basis.

Sarah Morrison is a Senior Underwriter at Kova Professions. With 15 years of industry experience, Sarah joins Kova from RSA Group, having previously worked at Placing Platform Limited, QIC Global Insurance Company, Brit Insurance, and Aspen Insurance. Sarah’s deep expertise in the PI sector further enhances Kova’s robust underwriting strategy and risk management processes, building on the company’s established strengths.

As Client Relationship Manager at Kova, Emma serves as the primary liaison between the company and Mission Underwriter’s supporting functions, including the digital team, vendors, finance, compliance, marketing, human capital and the client services team. Emma brings 15 years of insurance industry expertise to this role.

Derah McCall FCIM, provides comprehensive marketing services to Kova through her role as Marketing Director at Mission Underwriters. With over two decades of insurance marketing expertise, she delivers strategic brand development, digital marketing, and content creation. Derah works closely with Kova to define objectives and implement tailored strategies that drive measurable results.

Angela Panuccio provides strategic communications services to Kova through her role at Mission Underwriters. Leveraging her in-house management and agency background to develop effective content and PR strategies, Angela brings over twenty years of B2B communications experience to this role.

Megan Simpson is Senior Marketing Executive with over five years of experience in insurance marketing, specialising in event planning and management. She leads the coordination and execution of key industry events for Kova through her role at Mission Underwriters while playing a key role in shaping brand strategy and ensuring the seamless delivery of marketing and content collateral.

Patrice is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, serving as Client Services & Delivery Manager for Kova. In her role, she leads both onshore and offshore teams, providing comprehensive operational support across all Mission Series. Patrice oversees the delivery of a wide range of services, including policy administration, credit control, delegated authority, and broker/agency management. Patrice’s deep knowledge of the insurance sector enables her to recruit and develop highly skilled team members, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services with exceptional turnaround times. Her leadership continues to drive excellence and efficiency across the teams she oversees.