How did you join the insurance industry?
In 2015, ahead of my final year of studying History at the University of York, I spent the summer interning at Talbot in its Political Violence team. Following this I caught the insurance bug and after finishing university the following year I joined MS Amlin’s graduate scheme, later moving into its Product Recall team.
History is one of those degrees that equips you with transferable skills rather than a single technical expertise. Luckily, underwriting is a discipline that values a broad skillset, alongside analytical thinking and good communications, so it turned out to be a natural fit.
MS Amlin’s Product Recall team at the time was headed up by Ed Mitchell, who I learnt a lot from and is very well-regarded within the Product Recall space.
After seven years at MS Amlin and a short stint at a start-up, I joined IQUW in July 2024.
What do you enjoy most about Crisis Management and your role in general?
I love the variation that comes with Crisis Management. In essence, anything that can be considered “business crises” falls under the Crisis Management umbrella.
Crisis Management spans different product areas, one of which is Product Recall. This product alone spans multiple sectors from automotive, food and beverage, to consumer goods and packaging, each of which present completely different risk profiles. Product Recall underwriting is highly technical and bespoke, which keeps the day-to-day engaging.
Beyond Product Recall, IQUW also offers Kidnap and Ransom and Reputational Risk, which adds more diversity.
What attracted you to IQUW?
I’ve always seen IQUW as a business built on good people, thoughtful underwriting and a genuine commitment to service. Its reputation has been earned steadily through excellent results. It’s the combination of talent, discipline and care is what first drew me in.
I also knew of some of the underwriters at IQUW, including industry colleagues I respected and wanted to learn from. Joining IQUW has validated that choice. The team is collaborative, ambitious and in growth mode. The future outlook is especially exciting following IQUW’s recent acquisition by Starr.
In your opinion, what differentiates IQUW?
At IQUW, we are increasingly a lead market for Crisis Management, not only by line size capacity, but also in the sense of being thought leaders. Throughout 2025, we have seen a significant increase in our lead market business, but brokers also know we’ll take the time to understand complex or difficult-to-place risks and find a solution where possible.
Our responsiveness and service levels are another differentiator. We aim to be quick, clear, and easy to do business with.
IQUW’s appetite for innovation also sets us apart. For example, we have developed our own, innovative and distinctive wordings within the Product Recall space and we explore novel and emerging coverages outside of the traditional Product Recall space, too.
Can you tell us about the Crisis Management team?
There are three of us in IQUW’s Crisis Management team. The team is led by Jon Atkinson, Lead Underwriter, with George Davis and myself as Underwriters, while Joseph Ssenyonjo as Underwriting Operations Assistant provides brilliant support. We also work closely with Ryan Butcher and Vanessa Elliott in the Claims team. It’s a compact team, but highly effective and collaborative.
What trends are shaping the Crisis Management market?
Within Crisis Management, Product Recall continues to be a core area of focus. We’re seeing both the frequency and severity of recalls trending upward, driven by increasingly complex supply chains, heightened regulatory scrutiny and a lower tolerance for operational error. In the food and beverage sector in particular, allergen-related recalls are rising as regulations tighten and the number of consumers living with allergies and intolerances grows year-on-year. For insurers and manufacturers alike, early detection and rapid response are becoming critical.
Food fraud is also becoming one of the more persistent and costly threats to global food security. As we’ve highlighted before, mislabelling or ingredient substitution can happen accidentally or intentionally under economic pressure and often goes unnoticed until the damage is done. What looks genuine may not be and with estimated losses of around $40bn a year, the impact reaches far beyond the production line.
What are your aims and priorities?
In Crisis Management, coverage innovation is a major focus for us, ensuring that our products provide insureds with peace of mind.
We are also exploring growth opportunities in Crisis Management classes outside of our traditional Product Recall focus area, which includes both developing new products and expanding our existing offering. As a team, we are looking forward to seeing what 2026 has in store in terms of new business.
