Chaucer expands political violence and crisis management team with key appointment

Global specialty re/insurance group Chaucer has appointed Alex Baker as class underwriter in its political violence and crisis management team. In this role, Baker will lead the execution of Chaucer’s growth strategy and portfolio management in the US market.

Baker joins Chaucer with extensive experience, having spent 13 years at AXA XL (formerly Catlin), where he focused on underwriting terrorism and political violence risks.

Harriet Sharp (pictured above), head of political violence and crisis management at Chaucer, noted that Baker’s industry knowledge and underwriting expertise would be pivotal as the company seeks to expand its footprint in the US market. She expressed anticipation for working closely with him to advance Chaucer’s growth objectives.

Chaucer’s political violence team is known for offering coverage across a range of risks, including terrorism, strikes, riots, civil commotion (SRCC), and other crisis management solutions globally. The addition of Baker to the team highlights Chaucer’s commitment to enhancing its capabilities in this sector.

Recently, Chaucer also partnered with Gabriel and Merrill Herzog to introduce its active assailant product to the US market. This product provides combined property damage, business interruption, and liability coverage following active assailant incidents at an insured’s location or nearby sites.

Baker expressed enthusiasm about joining Chaucer and working with the firm’s talented team to drive business growth.

In June, Chaucer also announced a strategic leadership change by appointing Hayley Spink as its new group chief operating officer.

Spink will lead the company’s operations and service strategy, with a focus on enhancing efficiency and processes across the group. Her appointment is pending regulatory approval. She joins Chaucer with over 20 years of experience in the London Market, having held senior roles at Lloyd’s.

This leadership change coincides with the planned retirement of David Bendle, the current group chief operating officer, who will step down at the end of the year after 22 years with the company.

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