Latest Underwriting Headlines

All the headlines from our Underwriting Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Berger Named President of Berkley Specialty Underwriting Managers

Dec 20 2012 // Kenneth J. Berger has been named president of Berkley Specialty Underwriting Managers LLC. The appointment is effective immediately. Berger succeeds Steven S. Zeitman, who has been appointed chairman and will remain chief...

Issuer Credit Ratings of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. Downgraded

Dec 20 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a” from “a+” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. (Grinnell) and its...

Markel Acquiring Alterra for $3.1B to Diversify, Expand to Reinsurance

Dec 19 2012 // Specialty insurer Markel Corp. has agreed to acquire Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd. for $3.1 billion in cash and stock to increase business diversification and expand into reinsurance. The two companies announced Wednesday...

Talbot Appoints Schild as New Political Risk Underwriter

Dec 18 2012 // Talbot Underwriting Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Validus Holdings, Ltd., announced the appointment of Thomas Schild as Vice President, Political Risk Underwriter of Talbot Underwriting Services (US) Ltd. Talbot...

Best Affirms W. R. Berkley Corp and Subs ‘A+’ Ratings

Dec 17 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of’ A+ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of the property/casualty members of Berkley Insurance Group – Admiral...

Double-Digit Returns Absent From Year-End, 2013 Financial Forecasts

Dec 17 2012 // Although analysts following the property/casualty insurance industry expect underwriting results for 2012 to be better than 2011 when full-year numbers are tallied, double-digit overall returns-on-equity are still not...

Conn.-Based Business Risk Partners Appoints Senior Underwriter

Dec 14 2012 // Business Risk Partners (BRP), a Windsor, Conn.-based managing general underwriter, appointed Jayne Downey as a senior underwriter overseeing the firm’s technology errors-and-omissions (E&O) and data...

Liberty International Underwriters Promotes Aggarwal to U.S. Construction Post

Dec 7 2012 // Liberty International Underwriters has promoted Chaman Aggarwal to the newly-created position of senior vice president, USA Construction. In the position, Aggarwal is responsible for LIU’s U.S. construction product...

APC Underwriting Agency Expands into Continental Europe with Holland Office

Dec 6 2012 // Commercial insurance underwriting agency, APC, announced that it has begun its expansion drive into Continental Europe by launching APC Holland, based in The Hague. APC said the “independent MGA will provide a range...

W.R. Berkley Names President of B F Re Underwriters in Conn.

Dec 5 2012 // Greenwich, Conn.-headquartered W.R. Berkley Corp. announced Gregory A. Douglas has been named president of its B F Re Underwriters unit. The appointment is effective January 1, 2013. Douglas succeeds Daniel L. Avery, who...

Builders Insurance Adds Krause as Underwriting Vice President

Dec 5 2012 // Builders Insurance Group, based in Atlanta, has named Greg R. Krause as vice president of underwriting. Krause brings 31 years of experience in the property/casualty insurance sector to his responsibilities of strategic...

RLI Partners with Recreation Insurance Specialists to Underwrite RV Insurance

Dec 3 2012 // Peoria, Ill.-based RLI Corp. announced a new partnership with Recreation Insurance Specialists (RIS), a specialty recreation vehicle (RV) insurance agency, that will allow RLI to underwrite RV insurance for RIS. RLI has...

Carr Joins Mitsui Sumitomo at Lloyd’s to Expand Marine Liability Market

Nov 30 2012 // Mitsui Sumitomo at Lloyd’s announced the appointment of Darren Carr as Class Underwriter for its marine liability underwriting account in a move designed to expand that sector of its business. Carr joined Mitsui...

ProWriters Acquired; Opens as Independent Managing General Underwriter

Nov 28 2012 // West Chester, Pa.-based ProWriters (www.prowritersins.com), formerly a professional liability division of Venture Insurance Programs, has become an independent managing general underwriter (MGU). Brian Thornton, the new...

Best Assigns ‘A’ Ratings to Qatar Insurance SAQ and Main Subs

Nov 27 2012 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has assigned a financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings of “a” to Qatar Insurance Co SAQ (QIC) and its main subsidiaries:...

SPARTA Insurance Names Senior VP of Underwriting in Hartford, Conn.

Nov 26 2012 // Hartford, Conn.-based SPARTA Insurance Co. recently appointed Tom Colosi as senior vice president of underwriting. Most recently, Colosi led The Hartford’s countrywide group captive program business. He is an...

Business Moves – South Central

Nov 19 2012 // Liberty International Underwriters Liberty International Underwriters has set up a Dallas-based operation dedicated to handling Global Crisis Management (GCM) business for the southeastern and southwestern United States....

Beazley to Underwrite Contingency Business in U.S. in 2013

Nov 16 2012 // Beazley, an insurer of event cancellation and other forms of contingency business at Lloyd’s, will begin underwriting contingency business locally in the United States at the beginning of 2013. The focus will be...

RenRe Appoints O’Donnell as President, Global Chief Underwriting Officer

Nov 14 2012 // Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd announced the appointment of Kevin O’Donnell to the position of President & Global Chief Underwriting Officer. CEO Neill A. Currie commented: “I’m pleased to...

Best Affirms Markel International, Lloyd’s Syndicate Ratings; Outlook Stable

Nov 14 2012 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings of “a+” of UK-based Markel International Insurance Company...