The Aventum Group’s Rokstone has hired Laurence “Larry” Burrows (pictured) as head of its newly established US excess casualty division.
Burrows will come on board the international specialty (re)insurance managing general agent after completing his notice period. He brings over one and a half decades of experience in US casualty, most recently serving as a liability underwriter at Convex for four years.
The key hire’s previous positions also include liability underwriter at Apollo Syndicate 1969 and senior underwriter at Novae Syndicate, where he was instrumental in launching its US casualty proposition at Lloyd’s.
Rokstone’s US excess casualty division, supported by A-rated capacity, is set to specialize in a wide array of classes, including construction, transportation, energy, and US & global Fortune 1,000 risk-managed accounts.
The division’s focus will extend to emerging sectors like renewable energy and the autonomous/electric vehicle industry, along with other niche markets where Rokstone can deliver customized solutions for individual risks.
Rokstone chief executive James Potter commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Larry. We are committed to bringing market-leading talent to Rokstone, and Larry is the latest in a number of stellar hires to Rokstone over the past few years who have been attracted by our exciting culture and long-term committed capacity partners.
“The flexibility inherent in our approach appeals to talented underwriters who might be frustrated in their more traditional working environments. Like Larry, the people who have joined us in the last few years are truly at the sharp end of their specialisms.”
Potter also hinted at further growth in the US casualty market, saying: “We already have some US casualty lines and plan to expand this out over the coming months into a number of areas. We have previously been focused on short-tail lines, so this is sound diversification.
“With the developing back-year reserves and new reserving rules impacting the market, we believe the timing is perfect to further expand our casualty offering.”
Rokstone currently underwrites over $1 billion in gross written premium across various specialty lines, including property, power generation, marine, aviation, warranty, credit & surety treaty, agriculture, construction & engineering, accident & health, contingency, liability, and sports & leisure.
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