Apollo Syndicate Management has hired Amanda Lewis as head of specialty disruption insurance and Sophie Dunkerley as specialty disruption insurance underwriter at Syndicate 1969. This, the firm said, marks its expansion into contingency, agri-contingency and legal indemnity.
Lewis joins Apollo from White Oak Underwriting Agency, where she had been head of specialty since 2016. With over 25 years’ insurance experience, Lewis specialises in contingency, logistics disruption and legal indemnities. She also led the specialty contingency team at Aegis from 2009 to 2016, and previously worked at SCOR UK. According to Apollo, Lewis will lead its specialty disruption class, creating bespoke contingency and other specialty products within Apollo’s crisis management area, which is headed by Chris King.
Meanwhile, Dunkerley has almost 20 years’ experience in agriculture-based specialist insurance. She was most recently specialty senior underwriter at White Oak Underwriting Agency, focusing on agri-contingency insurance. Dunkerley also worked as a livestock underwriter at Aegis and Talbot Underwriting between 2006 and 2016. At Apollo, she will work with Lewis on building the team’s market presence and expanding its product offerings.
“We believe there is a great opportunity for growth in the contingency market as the rating environment improves and demand grows for specialty contingency products,” said Apollo Group CEO David Ibeson. “We see a clear market for a series of niche products, and we are very pleased to have some of the market’s leading underwriters in this specialty area leading our entry into the contingency space.
“With her expertise in contingency products and in-depth market relationships, Amanda will spearhead Apollo’s expansion into the market, and Sophie’s unparalleled knowledge in specialty disruption insurance will ensure the very highest quality of underwriting for our clients. We would therefore like to welcome them to our team.”
