Falcon Risk Services, a wholly owned managing general agent (MGA) of HDI Global SE, has promoted John Merchant to Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO), effective January 1st, 2026.
Merchant was the first employee to join Falcon in October 2021, and the firm says that he has since been instrumental in the MGA’s growth and evolution within the US specialty insurance market.
In his new role, Merchant oversees Falcon’s cyber, professional liability, and management liability lines and is responsible for setting the overall underwriting direction of the business.
His expanded role aims to bring Falcon’s underwriting organisation under a unified leadership structure, strengthening alignment and collaboration across product lines.
Additionally, Merchant will continue to advance the integration of proprietary technology and data analytics into Falcon’s underwriting processes.
Craig Landi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Falcon Risk Services, commented on the appointment, “John was Falcon’s inaugural employee and has played a pivotal role in our evolution from a fledgling start-up to a high-growth specialty leader. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to building a premier specialty insurance platform. John’s broad insurance product knowledge, gained over decades in the industry, makes him uniquely qualified to serve as Chief Underwriting Officer.”
He added, “John understands what it takes to build a specialty insurance business while partnering closely with HDI Group. His long-standing and diverse distribution relationships position Falcon to continue developing innovative insurance products that respond to the evolving needs of today’s business environment.”
Merchant said, “While this is a significant professional milestone, this promotion reflects the incredible team we have assembled at Falcon. We have built this company from the ground up together, and I am honored to lead our underwriting organization as we continue to innovate for our broker partners.”
