US insurer The Hartford has appointed Dave Draper as UK chief underwriting officer and active underwriter of The Hartford Underwriting Agency, Ltd – Syndicate 1221, subject to regulatory approval.
Carl Bach, III, CEO of Hartford Underwriting Agency, Ltd. – Syndicate 1221, said in a statement: “I am pleased to announce that Dave Draper has been appointed chief underwriting officer (UK) and active underwriter (subject to regulatory approval).
“In his role as interim CUO, Dave has been instrumental in driving underwriting discipline, performance and strategic delivery before he will lead our underwriting organization on a permanent basis.”
Draper is an insurance industry veteran with forty years’ experience, having started his career in 1986 with Builders’ Accident Insurance Company Ltd as an Assistant Underwriter.
Over the years he held increasingly senior roles including Senior Liability Underwriter at Charrington (962) Limited, Director of Newline Service Company at Newline Underwriting Management Limited and Senior Casualty Underwriter at Chubb Insurance Company in Europe.
Draper then spent almost ten years at QBE Insurance (Europe) as Director of Account Management for the Property, Casualty and Automotive Division, Director of Client and Broker Management for the Casualty and Automotive Division, Head of Business Development for the Casualty Division, Head of UK and Ireland Liability and UK and Continental Europe Portfolio Manager.
For the past seven years, he has served in Hartford as interim CUO, head of international third-party operations and head of international casualty.
Draper also served as head of international casualty at The Navigators Group, Inc. and as UK and Ireland casualty manager at Chubb.
He commented: “When I first entered the insurance market almost forty years ago, I certainly didn’t have a role like this in mind. All I knew was that I loved underwriting, building teams, meeting clients and brokers, and learning from great people. These same things still inspire me today.”
Draper continued: “Underwriting remains a people-first business, built on relationships, judgment and discipline/oversight. I am excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to working closely with our talented team to continue delivering sustainable profitable growth and underwriting excellence. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my journey so far.”
Bach III added, “Dave has been with the company for nearly a decade and has a deep understanding of our organization and our markets. He is widely respected throughout the industry and his values are very aligned with those of Hartford, making us especially proud to see such a strong internal leader step into this key role. Please join me in congratulating Dave on this well-deserved appointment.”
