Tell us about how you got into insurance.
After leaving Bristol University with a chemistry degree, insurance wasn’t on my radar. However, after speaking to one of my brother’s friends within the industry, I was attracted to the concept of the marketplace, the personalities involved, and the social aspect. That, combined with the industry’s entrepreneurial, analytical, and intelligence-led aspects – which I felt suited my skill set – led to me exploring insurance further.
How did your career path progress prior to joining IQUW?
I began my career as a graduate at Canopius, where I spent two years primarily within the Property division, supporting both the Direct & Facultative and Binders teams. This role allowed me to develop a strong foundation in underwriting and sharpen my analytical skills when working in the Catastrophe Modelling team. I also rotated through several other underwriting teams, which ultimately led me to join the Political Violence team when the opportunity arose. Over the next five years, I worked alongside the Lead Underwriter to grow the book, gaining deep expertise in a complex and evolving risk landscape before making the move to IQUW in 2021.
What attracted you to IQUW?
I was keen to work for a top-quartile syndicate under exceptional leadership. From the outset, IQUW was assembling a team of highly respected professionals with a proven track record of building successful businesses. The opportunity to be part of that journey – to help shape a company from the ground up was incredibly compelling. We are all part of a journey to becoming one of the best performing re/insurers in the industry. It’s all about having a can-do attitude, being focused on results, but also working together. As a mindset and culture, I think it really sets IQUW apart.
Can you tell us about your progression since joining and the move to Structured Solutions?
I joined IQUW as a Senior Underwriter to help establish the Political Violence team, navigating a particularly complex geopolitical environment. About a year in, I took on a dual role leading a strategic initiative to build a service model that would enable IQUW to become a truly differentiated, bionic underwriting function. Over 18 months, I worked across underwriting, operations, architecture, data, and technology to lay the foundations for a highly responsive, insight-driven underwriting platform.
This experience evolved into building out the Portfolio Solutions division. In January 2025, I was promoted to Lead Underwriter for Structured Solutions – an innovative and fast-growing area.
In your new role, what are your main priorities?
My key priorities are building strong broker relationships and identifying business opportunities that complement our existing portfolio and align with IQUW’s broad appetite. This includes sourcing portfolios that we don’t currently write, as well as collaborating internally to find opportunities that may not fit within our current classes of business. We’re focused on adapting to new, innovative ways of providing capacity and delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of our brokers and clients.
Tell me about how the IQUW approach is supporting this new area of business.
At IQUW, we take a forward-thinking, data-driven approach to underwriting. Our ability to extract insights from granular portfolio data allows us to identify trends early and respond with agility. This intelligence-led strategy enables us to support our clients and brokers by providing fast, informed decisions along with insights when needed. Our modern, pragmatic approach, combined with a strong focus on service, positions us to meet the changing demands of the market and deliver real value to our partners.
What trends are you seeing in Structured Solutions?
We’re seeing a shift toward more strategic placement of business by clients and brokers. Increasingly, they’re looking to consolidate multi-class portfolios into a single, cohesive solution rather than managing multiple programmes. This requires a deep understanding of the underlying data, as well as the ability to assess risk at the portfolio level rather than on an individual basis. It’s a more sophisticated, holistic approach to underwriting and one that aligns perfectly with IQUW’s capabilities and vision.
Find out more about Portfolio Solutions here.
