Pen Underwriting, the London-based managing general agent, announced a simplified divisional structure to bring together core commercial underwriting capabilities and expertise across the UK and Ireland.
Under the central leadership of Sarah Breslin as managing director of the new Commercial UK & Ireland division, Pen has brought together teams which offer a diverse range of highly specialist and risk-managed commercial insurance – across property, casualty, fleet and financial lines.
The structural change follows the geographic expansion of Pen into Ireland last year, with the acquisition of Wexford-based haulage and transportation specialist Wrightway Underwriting in June, which creates a platform to develop and distribute new products into the Irish market and vice versa.
It also follows Richard Webb’s decision, as managing director of UK Financial Lines & Specialty Liability, to retire from the industry after a career spanning almost 40 years, which began at General Accident before leadership positions at Hiscox, HCC, Manchester Underwriting Management and Pen. Webb will leave Pen later this year.
“As a result of bringing Wrightway into the Pen family and establishing our first on-the-ground presence in Ireland, we redoubled our focus on how best to grow and expand our business on a more regional basis across the UK and Ireland,” commented Tom Downey, chief executive officer of Pen Underwriting.
“Richard’s decision to hang up his ‘work boots’ gave rise to a natural opportunity to create a more unified commercial division that brings together all our complementary risk management and underwriting specialisms,” he said.
“Having already been leading on Wrightway’s integration into the Pen family, as part of her role as MD of our Specialty division, Sarah is ideally placed to lead the enlarged, combined Commercial division to deliver what brokers and their customers need, when and where they need it,” Downey added.
He went on to thank Webb for his contribution to the company and the wider industry. “His breadth of experience, market knowledge, sector collaboration and divisional leadership have been of great benefit to Pen and leave his specialist teams in a strong position to continue their consistent growth and evolution under Sarah’s leadership.”
Pen now has four trading divisions: Commercial – UK & Ireland; SME & Personal Lines; International; and Public Sector. The new structure brings together the previous Specialty and UK Financial Lines & Specialty Liability divisions. All product and regional leads within the new Commercial UK & Ireland division, and their specialist teams, remain unchanged.
Pen Underwriting is a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the Rolling Meadows, Illinois-based broker.
Source: Pen Underwriting
Topics Underwriting
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