Rokstone, the international specialty re/insurance managing general agent, has expanded its casualty capabilities with two senior appointments and the creation of Rokstone Velocity, a dedicated division focused on underwriting complex risks arising from the digital economy.
Rokstone Velocity has been formed to address liability exposures linked to autonomous and electric vehicles, advanced mobility providers, sharing economy platforms and other technology-enabled operating models. The division will begin by concentrating on the United States market, with international expansion envisaged over time.
Andrew Cooper has been appointed Head of Rokstone Velocity. Cooper previously served as Managing Director – Innovation & Technology at Pantheon and spent 23 years with Aon in a range of senior leadership and broking positions.
He brings more than 25 years’ experience in the insurance sector, with 17 years dedicated to US casualty business and eight years specialising in the sharing economy, digital platform and future mobility segments. Cooper will oversee underwriting strategy, portfolio development and broker relationships, with a particular focus on embedded insurance solutions and evolving liability structures suited to next-generation business models.
Matt Higgins has joined Rokstone Velocity as Senior Underwriter from Apollo’s iBott platform, following completion of his notice period. In his previous position, he was responsible for underwriting highly structured and innovative risk solutions for businesses operating across digital, shared and platform-based markets. Higgins brings significant technical expertise and experience in product development, strengthening the division’s capability to manage complex casualty risks.
The US sharing economy and digital mobility markets remain a significant source of casualty premium growth. However, available capacity has contracted due to regulatory uncertainty, limited historical data for modelling, and persistent social inflation. Rokstone views these conditions as an opportunity to apply a specialist, data-driven underwriting approach supported by a disciplined, long-term capital strategy.
Rokstone Velocity’s underwriting scope covers embedded insurance programmes within digital platforms, usage-based and telematics-enabled motor liability solutions, casualty facilities for mobility operators and sharing economy businesses, and multi-party platform liability frameworks. The division will also create bespoke policy wordings across motor liability, general liability, umbrella and hybrid structures to reflect evolving market needs.
The division will leverage Rokstone’s proprietary ATOMX technology ecosystem to improve data capture, convert unstructured loss information into actionable underwriting insight, and support detailed modelling, pricing accuracy and loss ratio forecasting from the outset.
Two dedicated underwriting facilities have been established, supported by Lloyd’s of London and an A-rated company market carrier, offering stable and diversified long-term capacity. This arrangement enables Rokstone Velocity to act as a lead market on complex programmes requiring strong underwriting expertise, while also participating alongside established lead insurers as a follow market when appropriate.
James Potter, Chairman of Rokstone Underwriting, commented: “Andrew and Matt materially strengthen our US casualty bench. This is not about chasing growth, it’s about building a disciplined, specialist portfolio in a segment where expertise genuinely matters. Rokstone Velocity demonstrates our commitment to backing high-quality talent with meaningful, long-term capacity and giving them the platform to lead.”
Larry Burrows, Head of North American Casualty, added: “Digital platforms and advanced mobility are redefining how liability is created, allocated and defended. These are not traditional commercial auto risks, they are embedded, multi-party exposures shaped by data and technology. We’ve built Rokstone Velocity to understand that complexity. We’re comfortable leading where our expertise adds value, and equally comfortable partnering where collaboration delivers the best outcome for brokers and clients. That flexibility is central to our US casualty strategy.”
