People in the News

Standard Club appoints new head of New York office

Mutual insurance association The Standard Club has appointed Leanne O’Loughlin president/regional director of Charles Taylor P&I Management (Americas), succeeding LeRoy Lambert, who has assumed the role of general counsel.

 

Leanne joined The Standard Club’s London office in 2010, before transferring to the New York office in 2013. She began her legal career as a commercial and civil solicitor.

 

LeRoy joined The Standard Club in 2009 after 25 years in private practice, latterly as a partner with Blank Rome. He has vast experience in all areas of maritime law, including US Jones Act and charter-party and bill of lading disputes. He is the first general counsel to be appointed to the New York office, and will enhance the club’s in-house capabilities, particularly with regard to the management of complex US claims and dispute resolution.

 

Cunningham Lindsey appoints new boss in Singapore

Cunningham Lindsey, the global claims management and loss adjusting firm, has appointed David Seng as chief executive for its Singapore business.

 

Mr Seng joined Cunningham Lindsey in 2004 and has built and led Cunningham Lindsey Singapore’s adjusting team for a number of years, dealing with liability claims throughout the Asia region.

 

In conjunction with Mr Seng’s promotion, former Cunningham Lindsey Singapore CEO, Robert Williams, will move to a Major and Complex Loss regional role. Mr Williams has been based in Singapore since 1991.

 

Beazley Names Moy to New US Marine Insurance Underwriting Team

Specialty insurer Beazley has appointed John Moy as US marine insurance underwriter within its newly- launched US marine platform.

 

Mr Moy will be responsible for underwriting and building the company’s US hull, protection & indemnity (P&I) and liability business for the marine and marine construction sectors.

 

He will report to Steve Vivian, head of US marine at Beazley, in New York.

Moy joins from Water Quality Syndicate in New York where he was chief underwriting officer. Moy’s career includes stints with the U.S. Merchant Marine, private shipping organizations and the insurance sector, including the setting-up and management of marine underwriting operations. He currently serves on the Liability and Energy committees of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters.

 

Moy’s appointment follows Beazley’s announcement on the 30th November 2017 that it is establishing a US marine platform with the strategic aim of capturing opportunities that do not typically get placed outside of the US domestic market.

 

Beazley has been an insurer of marine risks in the Lloyd’s market in London since 1999. The products offered in the S. are available on both an admitted and non-admitted basis, and are designed to complement the large risk coverages available through Beazley’s London underwriters.

 

According to Mr Vivian, the US team will target business which typically is placed in the US domestic market and not by its London colleagues. Beazley said it will be writing predominantly brown water hull risks, with limits of up to US$5 million, and marine liability risks, on both a primary and excess basis, with limits of up to US$25 million.

 

Pioneer launches ocean marine division

Pioneer Underwriters has launched a new ocean marine underwriting capability with the appointment of Zach McAbee as head of the new unit.

 

The new division will underwrite hull/P&I and primary & excess marine liability, initially focusing on the north-west region of the US.

 

Mr McAbee was most recently as head of ocean marine at Crum & Forster, where he launched an ocean marine department and opened and staffed three offices in New York, Houston and Seattle. Prior to this, he was vice president of ocean marine for the Midwest Region at Liberty International

 

Mr McAbee is based in Seattle and reports to Gene Hinman, chief executive of Pioneer’s US operation.

 

Travelers Names Rnjak to Lead Its Lloyd’s Platform

Travelers Europe has announced it has appointed Nick Rnjak to lead Travelers Syndicate Management Ltd, its wholly owned platform in the Lloyd’s insurance market.

 

Mr Rnjak most recently served as chief underwriting officer for Travelers Syndicate. In his new role, he will continue to focus on expanding its industry sector expertise and building relationships with brokers at Lloyd’s. He will report to Travelers Europe Chief Executive Officer Matthew Wilson.

 

Mr Rnjak has more than 40 years of industry experience in the London market. Before joining Travelers in 2007, he held a number of underwriting leadership roles at ACE, Gerling, Cox Syndicate and HSB.

 

Travelers said it has operated in Europe for decades in both the general insurance market and through Lloyd’s. Travelers Insurance Company Ltd offers business insurance, bond and specialty insurance and risk management services. Travelers Syndicate at Lloyd’s underwrites specialist and complex business classes, including marine, global property, power and utilities, accident and special risks, aviation and energy.

 

Ed hires Clarkson-led marine team

Heather Clarkson, a senior London market Aon marine executive, is to join the private equity backed wholesaler Ed in early 2018 to become the managing director of the broker’s marine practice.

Also joining her are two of her former Miller colleagues, Chris Hales and Chris Sapsford, as senior producers within the Ed team.

Ms Clarkson resigned from Aon, where she was Chief Broking Officer – Marine and Head of Hull, earlier this year and all three join the London-headquartered Ed on the 2nd January.

 

Hamilton hires Novae head of casualty for Lloyd’s managing agency

Hamilton Underwriting, the managing agency of Syndicate 3334 and the Lloyd’s operations of Bermuda-based Hamilton Insurance Group, has hired Robert Patten as head of casualty.

 

Mr Patten joins Hamilton from Novae Insurance where he also held the position of head of casualty. Prior to that, he was employed for eight years at Aspen Insurance in a number of senior positions such as head of international P&C.

 

His almost 40 years of industry experience includes appointments at XL Europe, Starr Excess and the Dublin and Bermuda-based operations of what is now Chubb (formerly ACE Group of Companies).

 

In his new role, Mr Patten will report to active underwriter and head of treaty Trevor Carvey.