Zurich promotes for new UK CUO

Zurich UK has appointed Sam Thomas as chief underwriting officer on a permanent basis after leading the function in an interim capacity.

In the role, Thomas will be responsible for underwriting strategy across Zurich UK’s property and casualty business, overseeing the insurer’s approach to risk selection, profitability and portfolio management while supporting long-term growth.

Thomas said: “I am incredibly proud to be appointed Zurich UK’s chief underwriting officer. The insurance landscape is evolving rapidly, creating new and emerging risks for businesses and individuals.

”I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across the business to ensure we continue to provide market-leading underwriting expertise, support our customers’ resilience and drive sustainable growth for the business.

“We have talented teams, strong broker relationships and a clear strategic direction and I’m excited to build on these foundations to further strengthen our proposition and deliver long‑term value for all our stakeholders.”

Experience

The appointment follows almost eight years with Zurich, during which Thomas has held a number of senior underwriting leadership positions.

Most recently, she served as head of retail underwriting, having previously led the insurer’s mid-market underwriting division.

Drazen Jaksic, chief executive at Zurich UK, said: “Thomas is a highly respected leader whose underwriting expertise, commercial acumen and commitment to our customers have made a significant impact across our business.

”During her time leading the CUO function, she has demonstrated exactly the qualities needed to help us deliver sustainable growth in a changing risk environment.

“Her deep understanding of our markets, combined with her focus on collaboration and innovation, will be critical as we continue to evolve our underwriting capabilities and deliver the right outcomes for our customers, brokers and partners.”