Paragon Insurance taps AmTrust to kickstart new E&S unit

Paragon Insurance Holdings, a specialty managing general agent (MGA), has bolstered its newly created casualty excess & surplus (E&S) with a new hire.

It has named Duffy Koller as president of the practice, which plans to begin underwriting primary and excess casualty by the first quarter of 2022. Classes of targeted business will include construction, manufacturing and distribution, and premises liability on a primary and excess basis.

Koller joins Paragon from AmTrust, where he gained recognition as a key underwriter in the space with a strong distribution and capacity following.

“This is a significant move for us and one that we expect will drive strong growth for Paragon starting in 2022,” said Paragon CEO Ron Ganiats (pictured). “We are pleased to welcome Duffy to Paragon and look forward to growing this new practice. This is a market that has seen significant rate growth in recent years, and we now have the talent to spearhead our practice going forward.”

The move is Paragon’s latest step toward growing the business and diversifying its portfolio beyond established admitted offerings.

“I’m very excited to have the support and expertise of Paragon to build out our E&S casualty platform,” Koller said. “ Paragon’s established MGA model will give us the tools we need to focus on highly skilled and diverse underwriters building a profitable book of business with integrity.”

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