Markel names senior international underwriter for marine and energy liability
Rhys O’Neill has been appointed as senior underwriter, marine & energy liability, international specialty, at Markel. O’Neill will be based in London and report to Grant Smith, who was recently hired as director, marine & energy liability, international specialty.
In his new role, O’Neill will be responsible for enhancing best-in-class underwriting strategies for renewing and new business within Markel’s marine & energy liability international wholesale book of business, and maintaining and strengthening strong relationships with key stakeholders, including clients, partners and internal teams.
Smith said: “In an increasingly risky and litigious world, the need for marine and energy companies to work with an insurance partner that’s able to help them identify, mitigate and transfer their liability exposures has never been higher. “I’m therefore delighted to welcome Rhys to the marine & energy liability team at Markel. I’m confident that his experience and strong industry network will significantly add to bench strength we already have in the team, enabling us to provide our clients and partners with the superior underwriting solutions and the support they need to mitigate and transfer their evolving risks.”
Tom Hillier, managing director, international specialty, at Markel, added: “When we established the specialty practice within our International Wholesale business last year, we set out an ambitious plan for our marine & energy liability team that would see us further establish ourselves as a leader in the market. Investing in talent is an important part of our strategy and Rhys’s deep understanding of marine liability insurance and strong network will help us in achieving our goals.”
O’Neill joins Markel from QBE, where he worked as a marine liability underwriter, managing a diverse portfolio of risks across various marine liability lines. Previously, he worked as an underwriter at The Standard Club, writing predominantly European-based business.
