Allianz AGCS nabs Berkshire Hathaway leader to take reins of largest line of business

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS), the corporate insurance carrier of  Allianz Group, has tapped a Berkshire Hathaway UK leader to manage its largest line of business contributing approximately one fifth to the company’s global premium volume of €9.5 billion in 2021.

Vanessa Maxwell (pictured) will join AGCS as new global head of financial lines, which the company claims is targeting new business opportunities across all regions with products such as directors & officers (D&O), professional liability and cyber insurance.

Maxwell succeeds Shanil Williams who has moved to the AGCS board of management as chief underwriting officer corporate.

She comes from Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance from her current role as UK country manager. Prior to that, she served in senior financial lines underwriting roles, most recently as head of executive and professional lines UK at Berkshire Hathaway. Before joining Berkshire in 2017, Maxwell held various managerial roles in financial lines and professional liability underwriting at AIG (including subsidiaries) in London and New York. She started her insurance career in 2002 at AIG in New York.

Maxwell is expected to join AGCS at the latest in June 2022, based in its London office.

Williams welcomed Maxwell to the AGCS leadership team saying: “After a detailed search of talent in the market, I am very glad that Vanessa has decided to join AGCS and look forward to working closely together with her in this important area of our business.

“She will take over the global leadership of our Financial Lines book at exciting times as we continue to boost our underwriting capabilities with new tools and technologies and also look to expand our portfolio globally in a profitable way.

“Vanessa’s extensive underwriting know-how as well as her global market experience will be tremendous assets to continue the momentum we have in Financial Lines and drive further growth.”