QBE names UK head of surety

QBE has named Leroy Hobson as head of surety for the UK.

Hobson will be based in London and report to Trevor Williams, head of credit and surety in Europe. His appointment was made amid a period of change within the QBE surety team.

In the role, Hobson will be responsible for driving profitable growth of the existing surety portfolio and examining new opportunities for QBE in the surety arena.

Hobson has almost three decades of experience in the surety market, having held head of surety roles at some of the biggest names in the industry.

He started his career at Chubb Insurance, working there for 13 years before switching to become a managing director for surety and guarantee at Aon. He was most recently the head of surety at Zurich Insurance.

“The UK surety market is facing a challenging time in which it is increasingly volatile. However, the demand for the product remains high in the sector, and QBE continues to look at new opportunities in a broadening appetite,” Williams said. “We are pleased to have someone of Leroy’s calibre on board as we look to grow the portfolio through diversification of industry mix and bond type.”