LSM reshapes underwriting leadership in UK and MENA with new divisional directors

Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM) has announced a series of senior underwriting appointments to lead three newly formed divisions in its UK and Middle East and the North Africa (MENA) region, as the specialty arm of the US mutual insurer seeks to strengthen alignment with brokers and clients.

Meghan Walker has been named divisional director for marine and aviation. Her remit will cover aviation, aviation war, marine cargo including the Liberty Cargo Consortium, hull and war, and ports and terminals. Walker, who has been with Liberty for 13 years and has led the aviation team since 2020, brings prior broking experience from Aon and Lockton.

Mike Burle will lead a new specialty division, which comprises fine art and specie, equine, war and terrorism, contingency, accident and health, and market trackers. Burle has been at Liberty for 16 years, with previous roles including head of marine and underwriting manager for war and terrorism, and fine art and specie. He will also continue as deputy active underwriter of Liberty’s Syndicate 4472.

Liberty also said it will combine its international property and UK commercial property lines under a simplified structure, with recruitment underway for a new divisional director to lead the consolidated property division. Dermot Walsh, currently head of commercial property, will move into the newly created role of director of UK retail. Walsh, who has more than 40 years’ market experience, will focus on advancing Liberty’s commercial products proposition in the UK retail space.

Lewis Edwards remains head of LSM’s delegated authority practice (DAP), overseeing governance, management and underwriting of non-specialty binders such as property, casualty, environmental impairment liability, and Supercoverholders. Edwards will also lead a newly established auto-follow business unit, designed to capitalise on opportunities arising from the bifurcation of the market and the growth of algorithmic and digital underwriting. Edwards joined Liberty in 2018 and launched the DAP in 2022.

Luis Prato, president of the firm’s UK and MENA region business, said: “These changes are designed to help us deliver our strategic objectives and empower our teams to make better and faster decisions. By providing greater alignment with our brokers and clients we will be able to do business more effectively and increase our speed to market.”

Henry Nelson, chief underwriting officer for the UK and MENA region, said: “The changes will support the roll-out of our integrated business unit model, which brings together underwriting with all aspects of delivery (claims, operations, finance, portfolio management, etc.) and encourages them to contribute proactively to business success. The new structure offers clear career opportunities for our talented people to build their careers at Liberty.”