Tell us how you joined the insurance industry
I didn’t know anything about the insurance industry and had applied to a variety of different graduate schemes in different financial sectors. I ended up joining the Marsh graduate scheme in 2021. I studied Economics and Politics at university, so when I was put into the Political Violence team, it felt like a natural fit. I’ve stayed in the space ever since and joined IQUW as Underwriter in March 2024.
What do you like most about the Political Violence & Terrorism (PV&T) line and your role in general?
Our work is extremely current and fast paced, encountering risks from vast areas across the world, whether that’s Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East conflicts, or high-profile political events in the US. The geopolitics element is intellectually stimulating, whilst the people-oriented nature of insurance keeps the job dynamic and interesting. In addition to regularly collaborating with brokers in the London market, we also have lots of opportunity to travel to meet and present to clients across the world. We also work from our Lloyd’s box every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning allowing brokers to meet with us in person. The PV&T space requires us to make quick decisions and hit tight deadlines and targets, which makes each day challenging and exciting.
What attracted you to IQUW?
I was attracted to the opportunity of fast-paced growth in a relatively new and young business. As a new entrant to the PV&T sector there is space for new ideas and approaches. I was also impressed by IQUW’s ambition on data and integration of automation.
What, in your opinion, differentiates IQUW’s approach?
I’d say it’s our service proposition, being consistently present and proactive in finding new ways to help our brokers and clients. At IQUW, we intelligently underwrite our risks by combining data, intelligent automation, and human expertise to make fast, informed decisions, seamlessly simplifying the complex risks. Within the PV&T team, this means being more open to underwriting a wider variety of occupancies, countries and types of perils.
We constantly share ideas and work closely with the other Specialty lines to stay aligned and identify cross-selling opportunities. We also partner with actuaries, pricing experts, claims, exposure management, operations, and marketing, all of whom play a critical role in enhancing our offering. Our regular engagement with the exposure team ensures that our terrorism models are always current, whether driven by market rate changes or evolving risk landscapes. This holistic, integrated approach enables us to stay agile and deliver innovative solutions.
Can you tell me a bit about the PV&T team?
I’m one of the latest additions to a rapidly growing team and class of business. We have Dan Callow our Lead Underwriter, then George Green who is senior underwriter, two other underwriters, Ollie and Matt, and two assistant underwriters, Lottie and Tom, providing the capacity to seamlessly service the book and respond promptly to clients and brokers, even when other team members are traveling.
What are the main trends effecting the PV&T sector?
The PV&T market is becoming increasingly competitive, with a growing number of entrants aiming to establish themselves. Many have ambitious targets, making it essential to provide brokers with not only strong service but also innovative solutions that add real value. This heightened competition is driving advancements across the sector, creating opportunities for differentiation.
One rapidly expanding product within this space is Active Assailant cover, which has seen a surge in demand in recent years as businesses and institutions seek more comprehensive protection against emerging threats. Recognising the growing demand for Active Assailant cover, IQUW is focused on expanding its capabilities in this area.
In your new role, what are your main aims and priorities and what excites you most about the challenges ahead?
For our Active Assailant product, we’re building a model that incorporates probability, based on accurate historical data from the past 10 years. We’ve developed our own wording and are also partnering with Crisis24 as our crisis responder, which puts us in a great position to offer more clients and brokers services in this sector. I’m looking forward to taking the reins for the product and the partnerships that underpin it. Part of my focus this year will be to expand in geographies such as the US and Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Find out more about Political Violence & Terrorism and our new Active Assailant product
