How did you first arrive in the insurance industry?
I started my career as a solicitor in one of the largest international insurance law firms, Kennedys. Like many people, I didn’t set out to have a career in insurance, but I feel extremely lucky to have landed in this industry. Kennedys were one of the many law firms that came to present at my law school. The people and the nature of the work stood out to me as being different to other law firms, which I now know was in no small part due to them being part of the incredible industry we work in.
I qualified as a solicitor in Kennedys’ Professional Indemnity team, with a focus on Financial Lines insurance, representing a wide range of professional and institutional defendants. This included claims against traditional professionals, as well as advising insurers on policy coverage for professionals, financial institutions, and directors and officers.
During my time at Kennedys, I was seconded to Allianz, Chubb and XL Catlin. I thoroughly enjoyed each of my secondments, learning more about the industry and building on my knowledge through each one. I realised my skill-set was better served in an in-house role, so I moved across to become a claims handler. After stints in claims handler roles at W/R/B Underwriting and Arch, I was approached by Tony Kriesel, IQUW’s Head of Professional Lines and Specialty Claims, and joined IQUW in October 2023.
What made you join IQUW?
The IQUW Professional Lines team position themselves as a leading primary and low excess market, which is the space I wanted to focus on and work within. Our team’s appetite jurisdictionally is in the US and Australia. I had experience in both these territories and where I was best suited to remain handling claims. Being part of an ambitious, market-leading syndicate is important to me and IQUW ticked all the boxes.
As a start-up of only three years with strong equity partners and our dedicated monoline personal lines motor syndicate, ERS, IQUW appealed to me as an exciting place to work. The growth IQUW has seen over the last three years is nothing short of incredible, and I feel proud to be part of the team and part of that growth.
Can you tell us about the IQUW claims team?
I work with a number well respected members of the London claims community at IQUW. The IQUW claims team is headed up by Gavin Williams. In addition, Stuart Bell and Tony Kriesel sit on the claims leadership team as Head of Property and Treaty claims and Head of Speciality and Professional lines claims respectively. I work in the Professional Lines claims team, and we have a team of market leading claims handlers who deal with all classes of specialty lines business. We have recently added further talent to the team, with a divisional Head of Marine, Energy and Aviation claims who will start in November and a senior property claims handler who will start in October, as IQUW continues to fulfil its growth plans.
Our claims team is extremely talented, knowledgeable and experienced. We strive to put our clients, brokers and customers first, working with our underwriters and brokers to provide market leading excellent service across all lines of business. For such a new and diverse team, we have a great rapport and collaborate on many broker initiatives.
What makes IQUW different to other insurers?
As a relatively new syndicate, IQUW is in a unique position to empower employees and provide scope for collaboration and innovation. A good example of this is the launch of our new proprietary Financial Institutions wording, FortiFI. Following discussions underwriters had with our producers, we noticed a gap in the US market for a bespoke FI wording which accommodated and encompassed the needs of our clients. We collaborated across functions to create FortiFI, ensuring a seamless process from initial underwriting to claims handling. We have already had fantastic feedback from brokers and clients since the launch and we will continue to utilise this wording to provide comprehensive coverage to our clients.
The Claims function can often be viewed as ‘back office’ and can be forgotten about in other companies, however, I’m proud to say that at IQUW claims are front and centre of the business proposition. When we are selling insurance policies, we are selling a claims service, and it’s important that we provide the level of service our clients require and expect.
We also work on a divisional basis, working closely with the underwriters and pricing actuaries. We have a collaborative approach at IQUW, where underwriting, claims and pricing all work together. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing, ensuring we are all on the same page.
Why is the use of data in claims such a game changer?
At IQUW, data, automation, and human expertise form the foundation of our approach. We recognise the crucial role data plays in our operations including claims, alongside maintaining strong broker relationships and ensuring efficiency in risk assessment. While the insurance industry often falls short in leveraging data effectively, IQUW is committed to leading this transformation.
As a relatively new syndicate, we are free to leverage our data with ease. Our focus is on the best practices for data recording and analysis, continuously exploring AI and technological advancements to streamline our operations.
