Beazley Expands Environmental Liability Team

FARMINGTON, Conn., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Beazley's environmental liability team is expanding on both sides of the Atlantic with the recruitment of two senior underwriters, James Wilkins and Nicholas Pearson.  Mr. Wilkins will be based in Atlanta and at the end of the year Mr. Pearson will be relocating from Philadelphia to London.    

Mr. Wilkins was previously an environmental product line manager within Zurich's Center of Excellence. He has over 13 years experience underwriting multiple environmental lines of business across a broad range of risk categories. He is also is a professional geologist and former environmental consultant/engineer.

Mr. Pearson joins Beazley from XL Insurance, where he underwrote fixed site environmental liability (operational and transactional), and pollution and professional liability business for contractors and service firms in the US and Canada. Previously, he worked for a number of environmental consulting firms providing environmental risk assessments.

"Nicholas and James will be instrumental in the development of our disciplined technical underwriting approach to environmental risks," said John Beauchamp, head of Beazley's environmental liability focus group.  "The team is this month launching Beazley ECLIPSE, our fixed site pollution legal liability and cleanup product."  

Note to editors:

Beazley plc (BEZ.L), is the parent company of specialist insurance businesses with operations in Europe, the US, Asia and Australia.  Beazley manages five Lloyd's syndicates and, in 2009, underwrote gross premiums worldwide of 1,115.5 million pounds Sterling.  All Lloyd's syndicates are rated A by A.M. Best. 

Beazley's underwriters in the United States focus on writing a range of specialist insurance products.  In the admitted market, coverage is provided by Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., an A.M. Best A rated carrier licensed in all 50 states.  In the surplus lines market, coverage is provided by the Beazley syndicates at Lloyd's.

Beazley is a market leader in many of its chosen lines, which include professional indemnity, property, marine, reinsurance, accident and life, and political risks and contingency business.

For more information please go to: www.beazley.com

SOURCE Beazley plc