Howden has appointed Simon Calabrese as head of entertainment and leisure following a recruitment drive in the team.

Mr Calabrese and new sport and entertainment senior associates Lauren Coburn, Sarah Collin, Melissa Fitzsimmons and James Schubach were all previously at Marsh.

Howden Pacific head of sport and entertainment Ben Hand says the hires are a major step forward for the business.

“The combination of talent, specialist knowledge and market experience across the broader team gives us an incredibly strong platform from which to support existing and future clients,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Mr Calabrese says the chance to “be part of an entrepreneurial, people-first organisation with a strong growth trajectory was compelling.

“Equally exciting is the chance to collaborate with some of the leading sport, leisure and entertainment specialists in the [Asia-Pacific] market.”

Howden says the new recruits “add more than 100 years of combined specialist experience” and the expansion marks a major investment in the entertainment, media, events and leisure market.