AXA XL hire joins Lloyd's insurer Apollo to grow specialty lines

AXA XL's Richard Panter has joined Apollo Syndicate Management, an independent specialist re/insurer at Lloyd's, as the company seeks to take advantage of the opportunities arising in the current specie and cargo market.

Panter has joined as head of specie and cargo at Apollo Syndicate 1969, reporting to Paul Letherbarrow, head of aviation and member of the executive committee.

In his new role, Panter will lead the team expanding its specie and cargo offerings. He will be joined by Charlotte Wilson as head of fine art and deputy head of specie in January 2020.

Panter brings over 37 years’ experience in the insurance market. Before joining Apollo, he had been head of fine art and jewellers’ block at AXA XL since 2016. He also held senior underwriting roles at Catlin and XL Catlin between 2001 and 2016, having started his career as a broker in 1983.

David Ibeson, group chief executive of Apollo, said: “As part of Apollo’s long-term strategy, we have been investing in talent and resources to grow our specialty lines, with our market leading specie and cargo team being an area of considerable focus as we see considerable trading improvement in the class. We are very pleased to have Richard joining us to accelerate our growth in specie and cargo.”

Panter added: “While more opportunities arise in the current specie and cargo market, clients are looking for professional support, especially from experts with strong market relationships and extensive analytical and actuarial capabilities. It’s a very exciting time to join Apollo and I look forward to working with this talented team to reinforce Apollo’s specie and cargo unit as a leading team in the London market.”