Arch Insurance International (Arch), the international insurance business of Arch Capital Group, has appointed James Mecham as Deputy Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) for Long Tail Lines, effective immediately.
Mecham will work alongside Mike Lay, CUO of Long Tail Lines, in supporting the underwriting strategy for the business. His responsibilities will include the long tail portfolios operated across Arch’s London Market, UK Regional, Australia and EU business units, as well as relationships with key brokers, clients and reinsurers.
Alongside his deputy CUO responsibilities, Mecham will become Head of General Casualty. He will work with the heads of the relevant lines of business to provide strategic oversight of its general liability, energy and marine liability, and professional lines portfolios.
Mecham will be based in London and report to Lay. He joined Arch in 2019 as Head of Casualty and has more than 20 years’ experience in underwriting.
Lay said: “James has an outstanding market reputation and a strong track record in underwriting leadership, making him ideally suited to the Deputy CUO role. His casualty experience and technical expertise will be critical as we further strengthen our lead positioning in our chosen markets and core lines of business. I look forward to working closely with James to execute our underwriting strategy.”
Hugh Sturgess, CEO, added: “James’ appointment reflects our ambitions for long tail lines. As we continue to strengthen our capabilities and expand across our international platforms, having leaders of James’ calibre will be central to delivering on our growth strategy.”
Arch said the appointment will support its approach to long tail underwriting and its continued development across its international platforms.
