Speakers
Tilden Watson
Session
Tilden has spent a career embedding practical risk, resilience and internal control solutions within organisations. As a qualified accountant (CIPFA), Internal Auditor (IIA), and member of the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), Tilden has dedicated nearly two decades to the public sector, serving in senior roles in local and central government. His notable roles included audit management and whilst working in central government shaping government risk policy and embedding risk management into significant government initiatives including building schools for the future.
In his tenure with a major public sector insurer, Tilden successfully supported over a hundred public sector clients in integrating robust risk management strategies and developing comprehensive resilience plans. Whilst managing the UK strategic risk team for Zurich he regularly presented at conferences on a range of topical risk issues.
Before joining Gallagher, Tilden spent ten years in a senior leadership role for Zurich, where he demonstrated a track record for innovation, delivering results and enhancing risk and resilience frameworks.
Despite many years in the risk profession, he remains both a pragmatist and an optimist. His passion is to ensure risk management truly supports organisations in achieving their goals in challenging circumstances.
Steven Simonds has spent his career helping organisations make practical and informed decisions about insurance, risk financing and organisational change. With 30 years’ experience spanning insurers, public sector organisations and specialist broking roles, Steven combines technical insurance knowledge with a first-hand understanding of the pressures facing local government.
Steven spent 16 years with a large metropolitan council, latterly as Insurance Manager. During this time, he modernised the council’s insurance arrangements, led major insurance procurements, introduced an in-house claims service and developed one of England’s largest school academy insurance frameworks.
Since joining Gallagher in 2022, Steven has advised councils, police and fire services, together with complex public sector organisations in the Channel Islands, on insurance strategy, programme design, procurement and the management of complex risks. Now an Executive Director within Gallagher’s Public Sector practice, he leads a team of Client Directors supporting organisations across the Midlands, South of England and South Wales.
As local government considers the implications of reorganisation, Steven supports affected authorities in understanding what change could mean for their insurance arrangements, assets, claims, contracts, liabilities and future procurement. His approach is to help clients plan early, improve the quality of their information and focus on practical steps that remain valuable while future structures and timescales continue to develop.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding local government change, Steven remains a pragmatist. He believes insurance and risk management should give organisations greater clarity and confidence, helping them navigate change rather than adding further complication.