Market Moves - 30 April 2015

Insurers

Beazley
Tom Watson has joined the UK marine team at specialist insurer Beazley. Watson, who joins as hull underwriter, will be based in London and report to head of marine Clive Washbourn. Previously, Watson spent 35 years in the hull and liability underwriting for small commercial craft and fishing vessels team of a specialist international marine mutual.

Covéa
Rickee Murrell has joined Covéa Insurance as senior regional underwriter, to support the growth of the firm’s new real estate product, which was launched last year. He has previously worked for Axa and RSA.

HSB
Specialist engineering and construction insurer HSB Engineering Insurance has appointed Stephen Morris as its new chief underwriting officer, subject to regulatory approval. Morris will be leading underwriting strategy to support business development objectives to grow core products and expand markets. Morris has been with HSB for seven years and was previously underwriting manager for the energy team. Prior to this, he was at RSA for six years as a construction power and engineering underwriting manager. He has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, including at Eagle Star and Cornhill Insurance.

Markel
Markel International has promoted Clare Dowling and Amelia Fenton as underwriters for its contingency account and accident and health business respectively. Dowling joined Markel in 2008 as underwriting assistant for the crime and contingency accounts and was promoted to assistant underwriter of contingency in 2011. Previously, Dowling held a position at Equity Insurance Group. Fenton joined Alterra Lloyds as underwriting assistant for accident and health and was promoted to assistant underwriter in 2013, following Altera’s acquisition by Markel. Before Alterra, Fenton worked at QBE, previously Evergreen, as underwriting assistant for its SME property team.

QBE
QBE has appointed Colin O’Farrell to the newly created position of chief underwriting officer for the company’s European insurance operations. As a consequence of O’Farrell’s new appointment, Sam Harrison, managing director of international markets, will assume responsibility for the IM division, with a suitable handover period to ensure the smooth continuity and operation of the business. The changes will come into effect on 1 June.

RSA
RSA has promoted Steve Hedge to delegated business director. Hedge has spent 11 years with RSA and held a variety of roles, including head of UK financial planning and finance director commercial SME. In his new role, Hedge will be responsible for managing the performance of RSA’s major delegated authority relationships.


Brokers

Lochain Patrick
Lloyd’s broker Lochain Patrick has appointed marine and energy specialist David Jackson as a director and producing broker. Jackson was previously managing director of Lloyd’s broker Alston Gayler. Lochain Patrick, formerly called Oval International, was acquired by HW Kaufman Financial Group in September 2014.

Marsh
Marsh has hired Kevin Robertson as leader of its Scottish private client services division, which provides insurance broking and risk management advice to high net worth individuals, family offices and estates. Robertson joins Marsh from Lockton Private Clients in Edinburgh and he has 13 years’ experience in the insurance industry. He has been engaged in providing personal insurance services to private individuals and families across the UK for the past eight years.


Technology

Nexus Underwriting
Nexus Underwriting Management Group has announced the appointment of Stuart Rouse as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. His previous senior roles include CFO of Fusion Insurance, CFO of Towergate Underwriting, COO of Towergate Financial, CFO of Aspen’s Managing Agency and Aspen’s Insurance Division and, latterly, Group COO of HW Wood, the global insurance broking group.