Hiscox has announced the appointment of Joanne Musselle as group chief underwriting officer. She will move into the role at the end of the year following the retirement of Richard Watson, and will join the Hiscox board as an executive director in February, subject to regulatory consent. Musselle is currently chief underwriting officer for Hiscox Retail, the group’s largest division.
Musselle has been with Hiscox for 17 years. She joined the UK business in 2002 as a technical underwriting manager for professions and specialty commercial lines, and has since held a variety of senior roles, including head of UK claims and chief underwriting officer for Hiscox UK and Ireland. Prior to joining Hiscox, Musselle held roles at AXA and Aviva in both the UK and Asian markets.
“After a thorough search where we considered a number of strong internal and external candidates, I am pleased to appoint Joanne as our next group chief underwriting officer,” said Bronek Masojada, Hiscox group CEO. “Joanne’s deep understanding of our business and experience of managing underwriting portfolios in our key markets will be critical for our next stage of growth. She has overseen strong, profitable growth in our retail casualty and property portfolios, and has confidently led the business through a number of changes in course when market conditions have been tough. Joanne’s commerciality, long-term view and ability to challenge will make her a valuable member of our executive team.”
“Profitable underwriting is the backbone of Hiscox, and I could not be more delighted to serve the group in this broader role,” Musselle said. “Being part of the evolution of Hiscox over the last 17 years has given me many experiences and opportunities across the whole of our business, and I am excited to be taking up this next challenge.”
