Beazley Makes Senior Claims Appointment
London, December 22, 2008
Beazley has appointed Anthony Hobkinson to head its Specialty Lines claims team focusing on professional and management liability claims. He succeeds David Marock, who was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Beazley in October.
Mr Hobkinson brings more than 20 years experience as a lawyer helping insurance and reinsurance clients resolve complex claims and drafting specialist policy wordings. He joins Beazley from CMS Cameron McKenna, where he focused on professional indemnity, aviation and aerospace, contingency, political risks, property, and product liability claims.
At CMS Cameron McKenna he was the youngest ever lawyer to be appointed a partner at the age of 27, and at the age of 34 became departmental head of the Insurance and Reinsurance department. He led this department, comprising more than 100 people, for 11 years, during which he was also a member of the firm's central Executive Committee.
Mr Hobkinson will start in his new position on 2 February 2009. He will take charge of a team that has grown from 23 at the end of 2005 to almost 50 today. Beazley has made significant investments in claims expertise in recent years, recognizing that high quality claims service enhances client loyalty and is an increasingly important factor for brokers in recommending insurers to their clients. Beazley now has claims professionals in five offices in the United States, as well as in London. Unusually among insurers, Beazley's claims professionals are not segregated in a claims department but work closely with the underwriters.
Adrian Cox, head of Specialty Lines, said: 'We have worked with Anthony as a trusted advisor for many years and are delighted that he will be joining Beazley to head the Specialty Lines claims team. We see each claim as a 'moment of truth' that can prove an insurer's worth or, if poorly handled, undermine the client relationship, perhaps fatally. With Anthony's help, I am confident that we will be able to build on our reputation as a provider of excellent claims service.'
Anthony Hobkinson said: 'Beazley's Specialty Lines division encounters some of the largest and most complex claims in insurance. To meet the high expectations of clients in these lines of business, the company has already assembled an exceptionally talented team. I am very excited to be joining an insurer that has led the insurance industry in raising the bar on claims service.'
Contact:
Beazley Group plc
Adrian Cox, Head of Specialty Lines
020 7674 0623
Finsbury Group
Guy Lamming, Partner
020 7251 3801
Note to editors:
Beazley Group, plc (BEZ.L), is the London-based parent company of global, specialist insurance businesses with operations in the UK, US, France, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.
Beazley manages four Lloyd's syndicates: Syndicate 2623 and Syndicate 623 underwrite a broad range of insurance and reinsurance business worldwide; Syndicate 3623 focuses on accident and health business; and 3622 is a dedicated life syndicate. For 2009 Beazley's syndicates share an aggregate underwriting capacity of £810m. All Lloyd's syndicates are rated A by A.M. Best. In the US, Beazley's underwriters focus on writing specialist insurance products in the admitted market, backed by Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., an admitted carrier in all 50 states; and surplus lines risks, backed by the Beazley syndicates at Lloyd's. Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. is rated A by A.M. Best.
Beazley is a market leader in many of its chosen lines, which include professional indemnity, property, marine, reinsurance, accident and life, and political risks and contingency business.
For more information please go to: www.beazley.com