Appointment set for January 2026 as insurer continues to grow its liability portfolio.
QBE has appointed Adrian Browne as director of underwriting, casualty, for the UK, with effect from 1 January 2026.
Browne (pictured), who is currently portfolio manager for UK casualty, will take over the leadership of one of QBE’s largest lines following the planned retirement of Anna Bennett at the end of this year.
He will be based in London and report to Chris Wallace, executive director of UK insurance at QBE Europe.
Bennett will retire at the end of 2025 following a career that has seen her play a leading role in the transformation and expansion of QBE’s UK liability business.
“Adrian’s experience, and solutions-focused approach is highly regarded across the market,” said Wallace.
“With Adrian leading one of our major portfolios, our broker partners and customers can look forward with confidence.”
Browne has worked in insurance for more than 20 years across actuarial pricing and underwriting leadership roles, and has spent the past four years managing QBE’s UK casualty portfolio.
His appointment comes as QBE’s casualty division records significant recent growth under Bennett’s leadership.
The unit has grown gross written premium by 43%, driven by regional expansion and the development of new products and partnerships, the insurer said.
In recent years, QBE has broadened its casualty proposition with offerings such as its award-winning “Minds in Business” mental health assessment tool and the launch of the “Contractors Combined” package.
It also renewed key strategic partnerships, including its 35-year collaboration with SSR and the continuation of capacity support for Pen Underwriting across the UK and Ireland.
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