Bridgehaven appoints ex-Canopius leader as head of underwriting strategy

Insurance firm Bridgehaven Specialty UK has appointed Jamie Wakeling as its new head of underwriting strategy.

Wakeling joins from Ocean International Reinsurance, where he served as chief underwriting officer.

Prior to Ocean Re he spent 20 years holding various leadership positions at Canopius, including head of property treaty, global head of reinsurance and chief underwriting officer.

The firm said Wakeling will “lead strategic initiatives across the classes of business insured and reinsured by Bridgehaven”, with a focus on “building out profitable and credible underwriting opportunities as the scale of the business grows in the UK, Europe and internationally”.

Bridgehaven also said he would provide guidance and leadership on complex reinsurance placements.

Underwriting reputation

Paul Dilley, chief underwriting officer, said: “We’re really pleased to appoint Wakeling as head of underwriting strategy. He has built an impressive underwriting reputation in the London market for providing solutions across multiple classes of business.

“He is highly regarded as a multiclass and jurisdiction reinsurance expert, making him a great addition to the Bridgehaven team as we build out our value proposition.”

The new appointee added: “I’ve been watching Bridgehaven’s successful entry and growth in the UK market over the past year and have been impressed by market reception to the hybrid insurance model.

“I’m excited to bring my skills and expertise to this role to help support Bridgehaven’s growth aspirations with UK and global partners.”