Lion Underwriting has evolved its professional lines offering, bringing in Quanta Insurance Group’s Executive General Manager to lead the charge.
Chris Edwards’ decision to make the move from Steadfast-owned Quanta marks a new chapter for family-owned Lion. The appointment comes less than 12 months after Lion’s founder, the late Kurt Nilsen, publicly shared that his business was positioning itself for growth.
Lion Director Nathan Hepple said Edwards’ client-centric mindset and market knowledge was an ideal fit for Lion.
“I’ve known Chris professionally for over seven years; his track record is impressive and clear. Through his career to date, he’s attracted the support of more than ten Lloyd’s syndicates, some of which potentially would never have stepped foot on Australian soil without Chris at their side locally,” Hepple explained.
“I have personally partnered with Chris within the insurance landscape and so I know first-hand the respect he holds amongst clients both in the Australian and London markets. His approach is highly valued and frankly hard to come by, so to say we are thrilled he’s joining us would be an understatement.”
Lion’s professional lines offering extends across professional indemnity, D&O, cyber, management liability and medical malpractice. Joining the business on Wednesday 3 September, Edwards becomes Head of Professional Lines, sitting alongside Bec Gottstein and Adam Thackeray who respectively head up Lion’s Casualty and Property portfolios.
With over 22 years of experience, Edwards noted that, in his view, the key to success for clients is solid communication at every stage of the insurance process: “We work to ensure all parties are protected from the outset and in order to do that, communication is paramount so there’s clarity and no surprises.
“Anyone can place an insurance program, but the real test is when insureds need us in their most vulnerable moment… that is, when they need to make a claim.
“Insurance will never cover all circumstances but what we can do is look to devise schemes based on cover that protects businesses for honest acts or errors,” Edwards explained.
On joining the Lion team specifically, Edwards noted the similarities between his own professional journey and that of Kurt Nilsen: “Lion started with one man and a dream and that is not dissimilar to how I built my name in the sector. Lion is forward-thinking and not constrained by the red tape so often seen in large entities. Clients don’t need added layers of complication… they need solutions and people they can trust when things feel messy.
“While Lion is nimble and modern, there is also a clear internal desire to ensure legacy is protected. I was fortunate enough to meet Kurt some years ago and I’m now invested and respectful of being a part of protecting his legacy.”
“I am very confident that Kurt would approve of this key hire in Chris,” Hepple added.
Lion’s Professional Lines team includes Dylan Webb (Underwriter) and Yvonne McCauley (Assistant Underwriter), as well as new recruit Fiona McKenzie (Underwriter). Fiona also joined Lion this month after relocating from the UK where she spent the past three years at a respected Lloyd’s Broker.
Media contact:
Sarah Tempest
0402 946 603
sarah.tempest@saythat.com.au