Keith Rutter, founder of Lloyd's insurer The Underwriter, has joined Oxygen Insurance Brokers to develop its international liability business.

Rutter, who recently left NCG Professional Risks, will specialise in broking business from the Middle East and Australia.

Another ex-NCG liability broker, James Kelly, has also joined the team.

Oxygen Holdings chief executive Nigel Barton said: "I always said the Oxygen operation would be a free-thinking bus. It is a diverse operation which has many excellent teams and characters working as one.

"Keith has an invaluable list of contacts internationally. He and James will be a great asset ."

Rutter said a number of contracts were already in the pipeline.

"We have just signed a deal with Australian-based broker network IBNA for professional liability business. We are part of the operation's 78 non-national Australian wholesale brokers that will place business in the London Market," he said.

IBNA brokers places in excess of A$700m in gross written premiums across all classes of general insurance business. Rutter said it expected to place around A$100m in the London Market.

He also said the energy and construction business in Dubai was "booming" and hoped to use other teams to expand into property.