International specialist reinsurance/insurance management general agent Rokstone has expanded its casualty capabilities with two senior appointments and the establishment of Rokstone Velocity, a specialized unit focused on underwriting complex risks arising from the digital economy.
Rokstone Velocity was formed to address liability risks associated with autonomous and electric vehicles, advanced mobility providers, sharing economy platforms and other technology-enabled operating models. The unit will initially focus on the U.S. market, with plans to expand internationally over time.
Andrew Cooper has been appointed principal of Rokstone Velocity. Cooper previously served as managing director of innovation and technology at Pantheon and spent 23 years at Aon in a series of senior leadership and brokerage roles.
He has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, 17 years of which were focused on the U.S. casualty business and eight years on the sharing economy, digital platforms and future mobility. Cooper will oversee underwriting strategy, portfolio development and broker relationships, with a particular focus on embedded insurance solutions and evolving liability structures suitable for next-generation business models.
Following his notice period, Matt Higgins has joined Rokstone Velocity as a senior underwriter on Apollo’s iBott platform. In his previous role, he was responsible for underwriting highly structured and innovative risk solutions for businesses operating across digital, shared and platform-based markets. Higgins brings significant technical expertise and experience in product development, strengthening the division’s ability to manage complex casualty risks.
The U.S. sharing economy and digital mobility market remain important sources of casualty premium growth. However, available capacity has contracted due to regulatory uncertainty, limited historical data for modeling, and ongoing social inflation. Rokstone views these conditions as an opportunity to apply a specialized, data-driven underwriting approach, complemented by a disciplined long-term capital strategy.
Rokstone Velocity’s coverage spans embedded insurance programs within digital platforms, usage and telematics-based automotive liability solutions, casualty facilities for mobile operators and sharing economy businesses, and multi-party platform liability frameworks. The division will also develop customized policy wording covering auto liability, general liability, umbrella and hybrid structures to reflect changing market needs.
The unit will leverage Rokstone’s proprietary ATOMX technology ecosystem to improve data capture, transform unstructured loss information into actionable underwriting insights, and enable detailed modeling, pricing accuracy and loss rate forecasting from the outset.
With the support of Lloyd’s of London and A-rated company market carriers, two dedicated underwriting agencies have been established to provide stable and diversified long-term underwriting capabilities. This arrangement enables Rokstone Velocity to act as a lead market on complex projects requiring strong underwriting expertise, while also participating as a follower market when appropriate with established lead insurers.
James Potter, Chairman of Rokstone Underwriting, commented: “Andrew and Matt have significantly strengthened our U.S. casualty profile. This is not about chasing growth, but about building a disciplined portfolio of expertise in areas where expertise truly matters. Rokstone Velocity exemplifies our commitment to supporting high-quality talent with meaningful long-term capabilities and providing them with a leadership platform.”
Larry Burrows, head of North America Casualty, added: “Digital platforms and advanced mobility are redefining how liability is created, assigned and defended. These risks are not traditional commercial auto risks, they are embedded, multi-party risks shaped by data and technology. We built Rokstone Velocity to understand this complexity. We are happy to lead in areas where our expertise adds value and equally happy to collaborate to drive the best outcomes for brokers and clients. This flexibility is at the core of our U.S. Casualty strategy.”
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