Apollo enters contingency and legal indemnity as market improves

Apollo Syndicate Management, an independent specialist re/insurer at Lloyd's, has expanded into contingency, agri-contingency and legal indemnity markets with senior hires from White Oak Underwriting.

Amanda Lewis joins as head of specialty disruption insurance, and Sophie Dunkerley as specialty disruption insurance underwriter at Syndicate 1969.

David Ibeson, group chief executive of Apollo, sees "great opportunity for growth in the contingency market as the rating environment improves and demand grows for specialty contingency products".

Lewis joins Apollo from White Oak Underwriting Agency, where she was head of specialty since 2016. With over 25 years’ insurance experience, Lewis specialises in contingency, logistics disruption and legal indemnities. She also led the specialty contingency team at Aegis between 2009 and 2016, and has previously worked at SCOR UK.

In her new role, Lewis will lead Apollo’s specialty disruption class, developing and bringing to market bespoke contingency and other specialty products within Apollo’s crisis management area, headed by Chris King.

Dunkerley has almost 20 years’ experience in agriculture based specialist insurances. She was most recently the specialty senior underwriter at White Oak Underwriting Agency, focusing on agri-contingency insurance. She has also worked as livestock underwriter at Aegis and Talbot Underwriting between 2006 and 2016. At Apollo, she will work with Lewis on building the team’s market presence and expanding its product offerings.

Ibeson said: “We see a clear market for a series of niche products, and we are very pleased to have some of the market’s leading underwriters in this specialty area leading our entry into the contingency space.

“With her expertise in contingency products and in-depth market relationships, Amanda will spearhead Apollo’s expansion into the market, and Sophie’s unparalleled knowledge in specialty disruption insurance will ensure the very highest quality of underwriting for our clients. We would therefore like to welcome them to our team.”