Arcus 1856 readies itself for agile future with IQUW rebrand

30 Jun 2021 by Jonathan Watson

Lloyd’s syndicate, Arcus 1856 has today announced it is rebranding to IQUW as the syndicate continues to execute on its vision to rebuild into a more diverse, multi-line (re)insurer. The rebrand is effective from today.

The new identity is a shift from the syndicate’s previous branding and repositions the company as it pivots into an agile business that will use data and intelligent automation to enhance underwriting decisions.

The rebrand follows recent confirmation of IQUW’s mid-year pre-emption approval which has seen its stamp capacity increase by 65%, enabling it to deliver growth across existing and new lines of business including Marine and Energy, Terror and War, Cargo and Specie, Professional Lines, Property, Cyber, Specialty Reinsurance (including Aviation and Marine) and Property Reinsurance.

IQUW is managed by Arch Managing Agency Limited (‘Arch’), but is backed by specialist insurer ERS following a transaction in December 2020 which saw the firm acquire the syndicate’s capacity, not prior liabilities. ERS continues to work with Arch until the Managing Agency responsibilities are transferred to ERS in the coming months.

ERS Group Chief Executive Officer, Peter Bilsby commented: “I’m excited to launch IQUW as we continue to evolve our business. The new branding begins to bring our strategy to life as we build new ways to manage our clients’ most complex risks by transitioning into an agile business with data analytics and automation at its core.”

“We have made a tremendous amount of progress in a very short space of time. Having raised further capital, gained approval to write new lines of business, successfully recruited some of the best talent in the industry and received pre-emption for an increased in stamp capacity, we are now ready to take our next steps forward as IQUW.”