Clearwater Underwriting (“Clearwater”), the leading specialty underwriting business focused on marine risks, has appointed Tim Strong as Managing Director, Crisis Management, as it expands its specialist underwriting platform into the Crisis Management market. Tim will build and lead Clearwater’s dedicated Crisis Management business, initially focused on Active Assailant and Terrorism & Political Violence, with the ambition of developing a broader portfolio of Crisis Management solutions as the business grows.

He joins Clearwater with more than 15 years’ experience specialising in crisis management, terrorism and political violence, most recently as Head of Crisis Management at Aspen. Prior to that, he spent more than 10 years at Aspen Insurance Group, progressing through underwriting roles before becoming Head of Crisis Management. At Clearwater, Tim will be responsible for establishing the new portfolio and developing its underwriting proposition, combining technical expertise with a focus on understanding the changing nature of geopolitical and security risks.

The business will seek to provide brokers and clients with relevant and effective risk transfer solutions, while retaining the flexibility to respond to emerging exposures and areas where existing coverage may not adequately address changing risks. The launch comes against an increasingly volatile geopolitical backdrop, with terrorism, political violence and other forms of crisis exposure creating growing demand for specialist insurance solutions. Clearwater sees an opportunity to bring its technology-enabled, disciplined underwriting approach to the class while building a broader Crisis Management capability over time.

Tim Strong, Managing Director, Crisis Management at Clearwater Underwriting, said: “I’m delighted to have joined Clearwater Underwriting at such an exciting stage in the company’s trajectory, and I’m looking forward to building out its Crisis Management portfolio. Against an increasingly volatile geopolitical backdrop, there is strong demand for both Active Assailant and Terrorism & Political Violence products. Our focus will be on ensuring those products continue to provide effective and relevant risk transfer for our clients, while developing new solutions where we see emerging risks or gaps in existing coverage.”

Richard Young, Chief Underwriting Officer at Clearwater Underwriting, added: “The nature of geopolitical risk has changed significantly in recent years, creating a more complex environment for businesses and increasing the need for specialist Crisis Management solutions. Tim has a deep understanding of this market and a clear view of how the products need to evolve alongside the risks they are designed to address. His appointment gives us the opportunity to build a Crisis Management portfolio with a strong technical foundation, while taking a fresh approach to where we see demand developing across Active Assailant and Terrorism & Political Violence.”