Several insurance and reinsurance firms have announced leadership and team appointments across the UK and Europe, signalling ongoing investment in specialist expertise and regional market coverage.
Markel has expanded its broker-facing teams across the UK with multiple appointments. The firm said that these additions are part of its broader strategy to support profitable growth while delivering consistent service across its broker network.
In southern England, Chris Dunn has joined as development underwriter for South West England and South Wales. Elaine Holland has been appointed South business development manager, while James Fone takes up the role of South key account director.
Dunn was previously a senior trading underwriter at RSA and has more than 15 years of professional indemnity experience. Holland has held development roles at NIG and Paragon Personal Finance, and Fone, based in London, brings a background in key account management from roles at Travelers and HSB Engineering.
In Birmingham, Joe McMurrough has been appointed senior construction underwriter, with a focus on building out the construction portfolio. Brad Thomas has joined as broker development manager – network. McMurrough’s background includes underwriting roles at QBE and Chubb, while Thomas has worked with Ecclesiastical and 1st Choice Insurance.
Earlier this month, Erik Johnson has also been appointed head of technical underwriting and oversight at Markel.
Quick Ralf & Grant (QRG), a Lloyd’s broker and specialist insurance group, has appointed Dennis Gattinger as head of Europe. He will be based in Barcelona and report directly to CEO Robert Ralf.
Gattinger was most recently head of distribution at Alta Signa, a Europe-wide specialist MGA. He has also held senior roles at ANV and Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe, where he began as a financial lines underwriter in 2006.
Prior to joining the insurance sector, he worked as a legal advisor in Karlsruhe following his completion of the German bar exam in 2005.
Qlaims Limited, a UK-based managing general agent, has appointed Tom Bartleet (pictured above) as non-executive director. Bartleet brings over 30 years of experience in the UK general insurance market.
He began his career at Willis in 1992 before acquiring Chesham Insurance Brokers in 2012. He later rebranded the firm as Erskine Murray Insurance Brokers in 2016 and, as CEO, led a series of acquisitions including Offley Insurance Brokers and Asciak Holdaway Merritt.
In 2020, Erskine Murray was sold to PIB Group Ltd, by which time the firm employed over 90 staff across multiple sites.
Westfield Specialty International has expanded its reinsurance capabilities with the appointment of Nate Field as class underwriter for casualty treaty reinsurance. Field will be based in London.
He joins from RenaissanceRe, where he held the role of senior treaty underwriter. Field brings nearly 15 years of experience across the reinsurance sector.
In March, Westfield Specialty International also announced two senior appointments, with Pete Stephens joining as head of the professional indemnity team and Hattie Hassall as a senior PI underwriter.
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