Westfield Specialty International has announced two senior appointments, with Pete Stephens joining as head of the professional indemnity team and Hattie Hassall as a senior PI underwriter.
Both will be based in London and will report to Mark Fellows, head of financial and professional lines.
“This is the second pair of appointments to our Professional Indemnity team since January, part of a broader programme of hiring across the Westfield Specialty business as we continue to make significant investments – not just into new and existing talent, but in terms of new capital and new products as well,” Fellows said.
Stephens has more than 17 years of experience in the London insurance market, writing both UK and international business. He has worked for companies including Allied World, AIG and RSA, and was most recently head of professional indemnity at Sompo International.
Meanwhile, Hassall joins from Sompo International, where she was a PI underwriter. With more than a decade of experience in the insurance industry, she previously worked for Tokio Marine.
“The fact that Westfield can attract experienced professionals of the quality of Peter and Hattie is testament to the strength of our offering – people are excited about the opportunity we bring in terms of underwriting ambition, willingness to expand our product offering and a disciplined approach to growth,” Fellows said. “We will continue to support and grow our existing international facility distributed business, whilst developing new market opportunities as we expand our overall financial lines proposition.”
In January, the company appointed Craig Nugent and Joseph Beltran to its PI team as part of its growth strategy. Nugent joins the division as a senior underwriter, while Beltran takes on the role of underwriter.
Westfield Specialty has said that the appointments are in line with its plans to expand its PI offerings and enhance client services in the sector. It also said it will continue to add new lines of business and provide specialty insurance solutions.
