Markel bolsters global terrorism line with senior appointment

Markel bolsters global terrorism line with senior appointment | Insurance Business America

Insurance News

Markel bolsters global terrorism line with senior appointment

13-year specialist comes from Munich Re Specialty

Insurance News

By
Kenneth Araullo

Markel has designated Andrew Umphress (pictured) as its new head of terrorism for North America, with the appointment underscoring the company’s dedication to extending the breadth of its services to clients throughout North America, in consideration of escalating global geopolitical risks.

Umphress will be stationed at Markel’s New York office and will report directly to Ed Winter, Markel’s London-based director of terrorism. Working alongside a global underwriting team, Umphress will oversee the management of Markel’s terrorism portfolio in the region. He will also play a pivotal role in the continued expansion of its active assailant product.

With over 13 years of experience in the US insurance market, Umphress is a longstanding terrorism underwriter and manager. According to his LinkedIn, he joins Markel from Munich Re Specialty, where he held the position of vice president and senior public entity property underwriter. In this capacity, he contributed to portfolio management and the cultivation of client relationships within Munich Re.

Previously, Umphress served as the head of US terrorism at Ambridge Group, where he played a key role in building the client base from the ground up. Additionally, he held the roles of associate vice president for war and terrorism and head of wholesale at Validus, where he concentrated on bolstering the underwriting team in New York.

“Heightened geopolitical tensions and an increasingly unpredictable threat landscape have brought the need for terrorism and political violence coverage into sharper focus as our clients navigate the complex effects of global conflict. Andrew’s arrival on our team will see him play a central role in enhancing our proposition to meet this challenge across geographies.

“His proven track record in building cutting edge solutions for clients, coupled with significant expertise in both terrorism risk and the US insurance market, will prove invaluable to our clients in North America. I’m delighted to have Andrew onboard and excited to see him take our offering from strength to strength,” Winter said.

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