Beazley underwriter’s charity ride; Consilium’s cyber partnership; Canopius’ COO

From Insurance Post this week

• Lloyd’s rules former CEO Neal breached rules
• Clement considers legal action against Lloyd’s
• Louise Haigh appointed Deputy Prime Minister in Burnham’s cabinet reshuffle
• Aviva’s Storah reveals power of ChatGPT in insurance sales
• FCA bans father and son over client money misuse

From People this week

• Big Interview: Frank Streidl, Zurich UK
• Q&A: Minster Law’s Craig Gilchrist
• Ecclesiastical promotes trio in leadership rejig
• QBE’s Harris: Burnham’s prevention vision mirrors insurance

Pick of the week

Insurance underwriter whose dad died of bowel cancer raises over £165,000

Date announced: 21 July

Beazley Insurance underwriter George Southgate has returned from a 600-mile journey where he led a group of cyclists, including many of his industry colleagues, from Berlin to London to support cancer patients and those who’ve lost loved ones to the disease.

After his dad died of bowel cancer, he decided to turn the pedals to raise vital funds for The Institute of Cancer Research, London.

George, 28, took on the challenge in memory of his dad, marine insurance veteran Mike Southgate, who died in January 2022, aged 59. Mike spent over 40 years working predominantly as a marine hull underwriter at a number of companies, including Sturge syndicate, GE and Swiss Re, and later as head of marine and energy at Montpelier, Canopius and finally, Hiscox.

Mike was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in April 2020. He had treatment for almost two years and tackled his cancer head on, maintaining positivity, optimism and humour throughout.

George said: “In the final stages of my dad’s illness and after trying a variety of harsh treatments, he wanted to take part in a clinical trial. He knew there was little chance it would improve his own prognosis but instead could help clinicians gain greater understanding into bowel cancer and the specific mutations present during his illness. Unfortunately, he was too ill to participate in it, but his attitude towards furthering research and the belief that this could improve the outlook for many bowel cancer patients is what has driven me to support The Institute of Cancer Research.”

In June 2022, George raised more than £18,000 to support the ICR’s research when he, along with three others, cycled from London to Paris in memory of his dad. Now, he’s been back on his bike to raise even more.

This time, starting from 5 July, he and his team of 26 cyclists cycled from Berlin to London, through Germany and across the Netherlands, then travelled by ferry to the UK, finishing their journey outside Lloyd’s of London, the home of the London insurance market, before cycling on to the ICR’s labs in Chelsea on 10 July. Passing through rural countryside, small towns and villages, they covered about 100 miles a day.

George has so far raised £165,000 to support the ICR’s pioneering work. 

To support George and raise funds for the ICR’s vital research, visit George’s fundraising page.

Consilium Partners with CyberCube

Date announced: 22 July

Consilium has partnered with CyberCube.

Available in over 100 markets worldwide, CyberCube’s Broking Manager platform provides data-driven insights for a deeper understanding of a client’s cyber risk exposure. 

It quantifies cyber risk in financial terms, benchmarks client exposures against peers, and provides data-backed recommendations to support cyber insurance risk management and placement decisions, including selecting appropriate coverage limits.

Ethan Godlieb, associate partner for cyber, tech and fintech at Consilium, said: “CyberCube’s Broking Manager platform provides valuable benchmarking and financial loss analytics for clients and gives us a valuable competitive edge – supporting our growth ambitions globally. 

“At any point in the cycle, but particularly in a soft market, clients need robust data-driven insights to help them understand their cyber risk exposure, select appropriate coverage limits, and make informed insurance purchasing decisions.”

The service will be offered to clients for free as part of Consilium’s quoting process.

Nate Brink, head of broker sales and account management at CyberCube, said: “We are delighted to welcome Consilium as a Broking Manager client. Brokers play a vital role in helping organizations navigate an increasingly complex cyber risk landscape. By leveraging CyberCube’s analytics, Consilium will be able to support clients globally in selecting appropriate cyber insurance limits while strengthening its international cyber offering.”

Euna broadens building and engineering contractors PI cover

Date announced: 20 July

Euna Underwriting has strengthened its building and engineering contractors professional indemnity product with 14 policy extensions, responding to a liability environment that has shifted materially since key provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022 and associated regulations have taken effect.

The Act’s extension of limitation periods under the Defective Premises Act 1972 – to 30 years retrospectively for certain historic claims and 15 years prospectively for new claims – has extended the potential liability tail for contractors, designers and construction professionals. 

Recent case law (URS Corporation Ltd v BDW Trading Ltd [2025] UKSC 21) has also reinforced the need for careful scrutiny of construction-related professional negligence exposures, particularly where multiple parties, historic works and remediation costs are involved.

Euna’s decision to act comes against the backdrop of a softening PI market, where some market wordings remain closer to traditional consultants’ PI forms. Euna’s approach has been to build its enhancements around the practical exposures faced by building and engineering contractors, drawing on direct broker feedback and the firm’s underwriting experience across the sector.

Pete Newson, head of professional indemnity underwriting at Euna, said: “Our PI proposition is built around giving brokers direct access to experienced underwriters who understand the risks they are placing. That matters most when the coverage questions are complex, and in construction PI right now, they often are.

“Some of the wording activity we’ve seen in the market has involved adapting traditional consultants’ PI wordings for construction clients. That’s not the same thing. Our enhancements have been developed specifically against what a building and engineering contractor needs, and they reflect the way liability falls on these projects. Fourteen extensions is a significant commitment, and every one of them has a reason behind it.”

Santam Syndicate 1918 launches international motor offering

Deal value: N/A

Date announced: 23 July

Santam Syndicate 1918 has brought in two senior London market professionals to its expanding team. Neil Smith joins to lead the syndicate’s entry into the international motor market, while Stephen Kiedish has been appointed as senior underwriter within the property team.

Smith will be responsible for developing and managing the syndicate’s international motor portfolio. Kiedish will focus on building and enhancing the syndicate’s property capability, with responsibility for further developing and diversifying the property portfolio.

Sam Geddes, CEO of Santam Syndicate 1918, commented: “We are delighted to welcome both Neil and Stephen to the syndicate. They bring exceptional technical capability, strong market reputations and extensive experience within their respective classes of business. Their appointments significantly strengthen the depth of our underwriting team and will be highly beneficial for our clients, brokers and coverholders.”

QuestGates acquires liability claims firm Howell Wild

Date announced: 23 July

QuestGates has announced the acquisition of Howell Wild.

Founded in 2001, the Manchester-based business handles complex liability claims. Its areas of expertise include product liability, public liability, employers liability, construction, professional indemnity and other specialist classes.

Chris Hall, group executive chairman of QuestGates, said: “Howell Wild is a perfect fit and we are delighted to welcome John and the team to QuestGates. Their expertise and reputation complement our existing liability offering and further strengthens our capabilities in this specialist area.”

John Wild, founder of Howell Wild, said: “After more than two decades building Howell Wild into a respected name in liability adjusting, the time is right to join QuestGates and be part of a larger business. 

“Their reputation and niche alignment makes them the ideal home for our business and ensures our clients benefit from the wider resources that QuestGates can offer, whilst retaining our commitment to delivery and service.”

And finally…

• ZestyAI has announced MAP Underwriting as its first London market customer.
• Allianz UK has expanded its underwriting capability for Battery Energy Storage Systems, giving brokers specialist support for customers with renewable energy projects.
• Carpenters Group has announced Alder Hey Children’s Charity as its charity of the year, following a company-wide vote involving colleagues across the business.
• Davies has joined forces with Verisk to introduce a carbon tracking solution for insurers, designed to measure and manage the carbon impact of claims activity.
• Acquis has announced the appointment of Kevin Crowley as its new head of data and business intelligence.
• Canopius Group has named Stacey Alioto as group chief operating officer.
• Aon has expanded its data center lifecycle insurance capacity to $5bn (£3.7bn), as demand for digital infrastructure insurance continues to grow.
• Adclear has partnered with Marshmallow to transform how the insurtech keeps marketing materials compliant.
• Drive Further has welcomed Rob Crashley as its new head of business development for financial and legal, and MSL.