Pen Underwriting has appointed Chris Curran as Underwriting Consultant to Freeboard Maritime.
Curran’s appointment comes as the company continues to invest in its new marine specialism, following its recent acquisition of five specialist marine MGA’s.
Established in June 2022, Freeboard Maritime specialises in cargo liability and marine professional indemnity (PI), and joined Pen alongside Vessel Protect, Trafalgar Marine Trades, BMM Ports & Terminals and Fortify Marine to bring new internationally focused underwriting capabilities across marine trades’ liability, ports & terminals liability, marine war risks, kidnap & ransom, brown water and hull & machinery.
Overall, Curran brings over 35 years of underwriting experience towards his new role. He adds a vast degree of technical expertise to Freeboard and Pen, as well as introducing a network of specialist claims adjusters, brokers and capacity relationships in the marine PI and cargo liability sectors.
In his most recent role, he served as a senior underwriter at Markel International, where he spent six years underwriting PI and errors & omissions risks for the marine and offshore energy sectors, as well as cargo liability for freight forwarding and logistics companies.
Paul Hartley, Co-Managing Director of Marine at Pen Underwriting, commented: “It’s fantastic to have a specialist underwriter of Chris’ calibre and capability joining us at arguably our most exciting juncture. A seasoned underwriter within an MGA framework, Chris will be a superb asset for both Freeboard and Pen, as we embed and expand a diversified marine offering within Pen and invest in continuing our story of sustainable growth. We are delighted to welcome him to the team.”
Addressing his appointment, Curran said: “Having the freedom, support and capacity to tailor insurance policies to meet the specific needs of clients is the challenge every good underwriter seeks. And Freeboard Maritime, as a newly established specialist in marine PI and cargo liability committed to providing unrivalled service and led by experienced underwriters, has built a compelling proposition. I’m very much looking forward to supporting Tom Batterbury, Josh Melville and the rest of the Freeboard team build and grow something distinctively different for brokers and their clients.”
