Lloyd’s specialist insurer Atrium has hired Marcus Hawkes as head of product recalls, with the appointment to be effective in the fourth quarter of 2026 once he completes his contractual obligations.
In his new role, Hawkes will write a book about the product recall business, focusing on automotive manufacturing.
Product recalls are a new stand-alone category for Atrium, bolstering the company’s specialty underwriting capabilities in line with its five-year transformation strategy.
The company will offer product recall coverage as a standalone product and as a complement to its existing casualty business line.
If a business needs to recall a product due to malfunction or contamination, product recall insurance can help the business respond and recover quickly. Atrium notes that the current average product recall cost is $35 million, a figure that most companies significantly underestimate.
Hawkes has more than a decade of industry experience, and prior to joining Atrium, he served as an executive underwriter at Apollo, specializing in automotive product recall insurance.
Prior to that, he served as a product recall broker for Lockton and also worked for Marsh.
Peter Laidlaw, active underwriter at Syndicate 609, said: “The establishment of a dedicated product recall team is an important milestone in Atrium’s continued development as a specialist specialist insurer and market-leading talent. Manufacturers and producers, regardless of size, operate in an environment of increasing regulatory and legal scrutiny. Marcus will provide the service clients need to help protect their businesses and customers, allowing them to move forward with confidence.”
“Marcus has a strong reputation and extensive experience in product recall underwriting. He will have a proven track record in managing complex portfolios across a range of clients, positioning Atrium as the ‘go-to’ market for brokers and clients.”
