RKH Specialty hires slew of senior executives from JLT Re, Willis to boost global marine business

RKH Specialty, part of the Hyperion Insurance Group, has made a series of senior hires from JLT Re, Willis and Ascot in Asia, and rebranded its Hong Kong-based marine insurance specialist FP Marine to further expand its capabilities in the sector globally.

The company said this move will help it strengthen its local presence in the international market, particularly in Asia Pacific that dominates the marine industry, with 15 of the world’s 20 largest container ports in the region, and two-thirds of container traffic now passing through Chinese ports alone.

Julian Franzman will join RKH Specialty as head of marine and cargo for Asia Pacific in November 2019. He comes from JLT Re Asia Pacific.

Franzman will lead the division in Singapore that includes new hires of divisional directors Ricky Miller and Nick King, broker Jaquelin See and account handler Flora Goh, all of whom are also joining from JLT Re in Singapore.

The new hires have specialise in cargo, stock throughput, hull, ports, terminals, logistics, builders’ risk and P&I.

Additionally, Tia Poole, previously of Willis Towers Watson, has joined the newly rebranded RKH Specialty Hong Kong as divisional director and will be focusing on ports, terminals and logistics, and hull lines.

Finally, Lee Vanderson has joined as regional technical advisor. Based in Manila, Vanderson was previously the chief underwriter and principal officer at Ascot Asia in Singapore.

The company also announced that FP Marine will now trade as RKH Specialty.

Dan Whiteside, head of marine at RKH Specialty, said: “London is a natural, but by no means the only, home, for international marine business. It is key that our teams have a local presence and ability to work together as a single unit to develop solutions for clients that encompass the best placement strategies from markets in London, Europe, USA, Middle East and Asia.”

Jonathan Eaton, head of cargo & stock throughput at RKH Specialty, added: “It’s our job to work across international insurance markets to bring together the best solutions for clients. Now it’s not at all unusual for a Singapore-based insurer to provide the most suitable solution for a German client exporting to Latin America, for example."

Richard Walker, chairman at rebranded RKH Specialty Hong Kong commented: “90% of the world’s trade is facilitated by maritime shipping and Asia is at its heart. For RKH, strengthening our resources in marine and cargo in Asia, reflect the growth of our client base here, as well as its fast-evolving insurance markets. But most of all, these moves reflect our belief that delivering the best of global markets to clients in Asia and the world over, demands a global, integrated, cross market approach. That is fundamentally what we deliver now.”

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