HDI Global Specialty has appointed David Melhuish as head of financial lines of the company’s Canada branch, effective immediately.
Melhuish will be responsible for overseeing the financial lines division of HDI Global Specialty in Canada. He will report directly to Derek Spafford, managing director and chief agent.
Melhuish joins HDI with 25 years of expertise in commercial insurance, having worked in both underwriting and brokerage services. His experience includes a strong focus on directors and officers (D&O) liability and ancillary products.
Throughout his career, Melhuish has held progressively more responsible underwriting roles at major insurers such as AIG, London Guarantee, Gerling (acquired by RSA), Chubb, and most recently Everest Insurance. His diverse background also encompasses knowledge in professional liability, general liability, property, auto, and reinsurance.
“I am delighted to have David on the team,” said Spafford. “He will be a very strong asset for HDI in Canada as we continue building our underwriting strength to better respond to the needs of our broker partners. David’s market expertise will be a great addition to HDI as we continue to show strong growth, and I look forward to working alongside him.”
Melhuish’s appointment comes as Oren Schemool, the previous head of financial lines, transitions to the role of head of professional lines within the company.
In May, HDI Global published its financial results for the first quarter of 2023, revealing an insurance revenue of €2.1 billion (roughly CAN$3 billion). This was attributed to the group’s liability business, as well as the fire and engineering lines.
Its specialty business was another major contributor to the positive results, having delivered an insurance revenue of €681 million.
“The profitable growth extends to both commercial and specialty business,” HDI Global CEO Edgar Puls said of the results.
What are your thoughts on this story? Feel free to comment below.
