BPL, an independent credit and political risk insurance (CPRI) broker, has announced that group CEO Ms Sian Aspinall has decided to step down from her role, with the view to appointing deputy CEO Mr James Reynolds in her place.
Complex family health pressures at home have led to Ms Aspinall’s decision, and she plans to hand over her executive position in 1Q2026, becoming a non-executive director thereafter.
Between now and then, Mr Reynolds will act as COO to ensure a smooth transition, with fellow deputy CEO Mr Charlie Radcliffe taking on the role of CCO. These developments will happen under chairman Mr James Esdaile, who remains in situ.
With 35 years of experience and an exhaustive knowledge of the intricacies of CPRI, Ms Aspinall has long been a highly regarded figure within BPL and the market. Before her role as group CEO, she served alongside Mr Esdaile as BPL’s managing director for close to seven years. During this time, she also played an influential role in shaping the market’s positioning around the Insurance Act 2015, negotiating appropriate standard sanctions clauses and campaigning for appropriate recognition and treatment of credit insurance within banking regulation.
During her tenure as group CEO from 2022 to 2025, Ms Aspinall guided BPL to a near doubling of its gross written premium volumes, a 22% increase in headcount, and most recently, minority investment from Preservation Capital Partners. This was all while accelerating her advocacy work through her International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Board seat and position as chair of the ITFA Insurance Committee.