Delta Insurance has appointed Joleene Dawson as the group head of underwriting, effective immediately.
Based in the Sydney office, Dawson (pictured) oversees the underwriting strategy across New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and surrounding regions.
Dawson transitions to Delta Insurance from Chubb, where she spent 13 years progressing from corporate unit manager in the executive protection practice to property and casualty underwriting operations manager for the ANZ region.
“Niche insurers like Delta are pushing the boundaries of the possible by identifying, evaluating, and underwriting new and emerging risks faced by organisations of every kind and size,” she said. “Coming on board is exciting as this is a company strongly focused on growing the insurance market through product and underwriting innovation, rather than looking to switch business from existing providers.”
Craig Kirk, chief underwriting officer at Delta Insurance, welcomed Dawson to the team.
“As our team steadily grows, we’re attracting high-profile senior staff who are key to driving our value proposition of innovative product development, informed underwriting, and an empowered broker channel. Of course, the purpose of all that is delivering the insurance solutions businesses need so they can transact with confidence by offsetting new and emerging risks with appropriate insurance products,” he said.
Kent Chaplin, CEO of Delta Insurance Group, underscored the importance of Dawson’s appointment.
“Bringing Joleene on board is another milestone for the business, not only in Australia but also for our New Zealand and Singapore operations,” he said. “She’s a seasoned and respected senior professional who will take our underwriting capability to new heights while delivering performance management for sustainable profitability across all our portfolios, supporting further product innovation, and promoting best practice and underwriting excellence throughout the group.”
Dawson highlighted the unique value Delta Insurance offers to brokers, including coverage for cyber risks, technology, associations liability, professional indemnity for media and accounting, product recall, and commercial vehicle insurance for specialised fleets.
“These solutions give our brokers the ability to offer their existing customers compelling new value propositions, while further building their books by appealing to entirely new customers. As niche underwriters, we’ll continue reviewing the risk landscape, developing, and delivering the solutions businesses need in a changed and changing environment,” she said.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in early 2024, Delta Insurance has grown from a start-up to an international firm with over 80 employees. In March, it appointed Nathan Barrett as the group chief operating officer (COO) as part of its strategic expansion efforts.
