London Market
Daniel Hornsby | London Market Data Delivery Partner
Accelerating data roadmaps and modernising legacy platforms with nearly 20 years of domain expertise. The work is pragmatic and delivery-led, and you engage with me directly - no agency layer, so effort and budget stay focused on outcomes.
The fixer approach
Stalled roadmaps, redlined legacy, modern transformations - driven over the line.
After a decade leading data teams in the market - most recently as Head of Data Architecture for a global insurer - I now work as an independent advisory and delivery partner through Cherry Data. I unpick complex London Market estates and align technology with how Finance, Actuarial, Claims, Underwriting, Operations, and Delegated teams actually operate.
Data capability before org charts: Not all firms have a dedicated data function - which makes sense until the business is large enough to warrant it. In practice, data problems tend to be addressed from a general IT lens rather than through modelling, semantics, and informed design choices. Cherry Data can bring that focus as a delivery partner without you needing to redraw the organisation on day one.
Collaborative integration: We augment internal talent, focus on shared outcomes, and prioritise knowledge transfer - without the typical consultancy lock-in or upselling.
Industry knowledge and practical delivery come first. Where the programme calls for a modern data stack - Databricks, MS Fabric, MS SQL, and Phinsys-aligned estates - we work from the same concept: fundamentals first: sound modelling, clear semantics, and disciplined engineering.
Domain & technology
Where we operate
High-signal context - not generic "digital transformation" language.
London Market domains
- Finance - reporting, close, and management information across complex group structures.
- Actuarial - data flows that respect pricing, reserving, and capital modelling dependencies.
- Underwriting - pricing, rules, and workflow data aligned with actuarial, finance, and downstream handoffs.
- Operations - binding, policy servicing, and operating data that stays reconciled across the lifecycle.
- Regulatory - traceable, governed submissions and controls.
- Claims - end-to-end claims data and operational analytics.
- Delegated & Open Market - expert unpicking of Bordereaux, coverholder reporting, and downstream finance integration.
Core platforms
- Databricks - lakehouse architecture, engineering discipline, and AI-ready pipelines.
- Microsoft Fabric and Azure - enterprise integration and secure patterns.
- MS SQL Server - performance, consolidation, and migration paths.
- Phinsys & Tandem Integration - upstream data landscapes architected to feed the Tandem finance engine, reducing reconciliation friction and ensuring 'accounting-grade' accuracy from day one.
Strategy & leadership
Insider perspective, execution-first
Peer-reviewing, defining, and leading Data & Governance programmes from an insider's perspective - focusing on execution over unsolicited opinion. Having held these roles internally, I understand the frustration of outsiders distributing views without context; Cherry Data is built around practical delivery and shared outcomes.
Delivery model
A lean core, a vetted bench
A lean core supported by a vetted network of Lloyd’s-market specialists. When a programme needs to scale beyond my own capacity, I can add resources from a curated network of specialists I have personally led and vetted - scalable delivery without the overhead of a large consultancy.
AI & data science readiness: Architectural groundwork for modern AI initiatives, with emphasis on governed, auditable data for model development.
Commercial clarity
Statement of Work engagements
Not every initiative needs a traditional full-time commitment; pace is often set by the combined availability of business functions. I offer flexible arrangements on a Statement of Work (SoW) basis.
Direct commercial clarity: With no agency in the chain, 100% of your budget goes towards delivery, giving full commercial transparency and IR35 clarity that contingent workers via agencies often lack.