Rokstone, an international managing general agent (MGA) specialising in specialty re/insurance, has appointed Airlie Isted ACII as an underwriter in its growing Specialty Reinsurance division.
Isted joins Rokstone after four years at Antares Managing Agency Ltd, where she advanced from Assistant Underwriter to Underwriter in April 2024.
She entered the insurance industry in 2018 through an apprenticeship at AXA XL, working in Specialty Reinsurance before progressing to a Trainee Underwriter role. Rokstone said her background includes experience in Marine, Energy and Terrorism reinsurance.
Isted has built her underwriting career through a series of progressive roles, becoming an underwriter at 23. Her move to Rokstone also brings her back into a working relationship with Eddie Hughes, the company’s Head of Specialty Reinsurance, who first recruited her at Antares and has continued to follow her career. She will work with Hughes as Rokstone develops its global treaty portfolio across Marine, Energy, Terrorism, Property, Aviation and Space.
The appointment comes as Rokstone continues to expand its Specialty Reinsurance operation following its first year in business. The company reported USD $25 million in gross written premium (GWP) during the division’s first ten months and has set a target of $40m in GWP for 2027. Rokstone said Isted’s appointment will strengthen the team’s underwriting capabilities as it works towards its wider business objectives.
Hughes commented: “Airlie is one of the most gifted underwriters I know and in my view is a decade ahead of her peers. I first hired her at Antares, so I have had the privilege of seeing her talent develop first-hand. Her technical ability, commercial instinct and judgement are exceptional, and she has an instinct for the business that is rare at any stage of a career.
“I am delighted to be working with her again at Rokstone. She brings valuable experience across Marine, Energy and Terrorism reinsurance, and will be a huge asset as we continue to grow the portfolio. We have made a fantastic start, but we have much bigger ambitions, and having someone of Airlie’s calibre alongside us will be instrumental as we take the business forward.”
Isted added: “Having worked with Eddie at Antares, I know first-hand the quality of underwriter he is and the kind of business he wants to build, so the opportunity to join him at Rokstone was a really exciting one. Rokstone has an outstanding reputation in the market, and its growth, entrepreneurial culture and commitment to giving talented underwriters the freedom to develop and build their portfolios make it a hugely attractive place to be.”
