Ahmed Farag assumes the role of Head of Casualty, leveraging his dynamic leadership and extensive experience gained at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, where he led the Casualty Portfolio for Australia and New Zealand.
Complementing this, Kym Beazleigh takes on the dual responsibilities of Head of Professional and Financial Risk (PFR) and Head of Sydney, bringing significant leadership expertise from his prior role as Senior Vice President and Underwriting Head, Asia Pacific Professional Lines Division at Allied World.
The expansion of Markel’s team also includes the appointment of Arné Booysen as Senior Underwriter, Professional Indemnity. Booysen, previously with Allied World as Assistant Vice President and Underwriting Manager, Australian Professional Lines Division, will report to Kym Beazleigh.
The hires mark the establishment of Markel’s presence in Sydney, underscoring the company’s commitment to strengthening its foothold in the Australian market and providing tailored insurance solutions across various sectors.
Commenting on the appointments, Rory Morison, Managing Director, Australia at Markel, said, “The appointment of Ahmed and Kym to lead our Casualty and PFR practices is a clear and exciting signal to the Australian market that Markel intends to build a leading position over the long term.
“Opening the Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney offices concurrently was a deliberate move to ensure our people are as close as possible to policyholders, and their brokers. We will continue to thoughtfully and confidently grow our underwriting and claims teams, adding value for our partners and customers well into the future.”
He added: “We’re pleased to bring Markel’s compelling Financial lines and Casualty products to Australian brokers, many of whom are eager to work with a specialty insurer that empowers its underwriters to make decisions onshore, in real-time, based on the latest market developments.”
Author: Joanna England
