Rob Kuchinski, the commercial insurance head of Zurich UK who is retiring at the end of the year, will be succeeded by Liberty Specialty Markets president and managing director Phil Hobbs (pictured) as chair of the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA).
An IUA board member since 2019, Hobbs served as deputy chair and will assume the chairmanship on January 1, 2023. He was elected during a board meeting this week. As part of his remit, Hobbs will be the IUA’s representative on the London Market Group board.
“The IUA performs a vital function for our industry, advocating with authority on technical underwriting and claims matters for specialty lines,” said the incoming chair. “I am pleased to be leading the association as it continues working towards its mission to secure an optimal trading environment for London insurance and reinsurance companies.”
IUA chief executive Dave Matcham, meanwhile, thanked Kuchinski while citing what’s next for the trade body under Hobbs as chair.
“Our board is responsible for setting the overall strategy of our organisation and is made up of senior leaders from across the company market,” noted Matcham. “It has been led with great effectiveness by Mr Kuchinski for the past two years – a period that has seen overall IUA membership grow to record levels. I would like to thank him for his dedicated support and wish him well in his retirement.
“Phil Hobbs is well placed to take on the role of chair. He is already a respected contributor to board discussions and a well-regarded leader in our market. In early January we will be publishing the IUA’s business plan for the year ahead. I look forward to working with him as we deliver the member services promised in this document and support the development of new digital services for the company market.”
