QBE Launches Products for New Inland Marine Practice, Expanding Its Insurance Capabilities

NEW YORK, March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- QBE North America today announced that QBE Specialty, serving businesses with diverse specialized insurance needs, has launched a suite of products for its newly created Inland Marine practice.

Leading the new Inland Marine practice, Richard Pye, Senior Vice President, joined QBE North America Specialty Lines in mid-2015 from a global insurance carrier, where he served as Senior Vice President, Inland Marine and Marine Property.

Mr. Pye has the full underwriting P&L control for Inland Marine, and is responsible for the underwriting strategy, the deployment of a complete portfolio of primary proprietary QBE products, and the launch of a national franchise with dedicated Inland Marine specialists.  

This expansion includes a range of offerings for the following industry groups:

• Construction: Buildings and structures under construction, installation projects, and contractor's equipment
• Energy: Well servicing and directional drilling equipment
• Logistics: Truckers and warehouse operators
• Mobile Equipment: Appetite includes medical and scientific equipment, towers and antennas, and equipment sales and rentals

In addition to bringing to market a range of new products for QBE, Mr. Pye has recruited leaders with specialty underwriting talent who will contribute their deep expertise and industry knowledge to QBE's full-service Inland Marine practice.

These leaders include: Joe Bielawski, Vice President, Underwriting in Chicago; and David Brooks Vice President, Underwriting and Bruce Pichon, Vice President, Underwriting, both of whom are based in Los Angeles.    

"QBE Specialty remains committed to expanding our product suite, so our producers can provide a complete insurance solution for their clients," said Jeff Grange, President, Specialty Lines, QBE North America.

"Our new Inland Marine practice," Mr. Grange added, "has, in a few short months, established itself due to the quality of our underwriting team and broker relationships. Led by Richard Pye, this new practice will make us an Inland Marine market of choice in our target segments."

Over the coming months, proprietary coverage options will be offered within our target markets, including new Motor Truck Cargo and Builders Risk coverage offerings, as well as a partnership with QBE Specialty's Aviation division to meet the property and equipment needs of customer airports.

QBE's Inland Marine team works in close partnership with Commercial, Aviation and Personal Insurance underwriting teams in support of their underwriting effort. QBE appointed producers can now leverage the full breadth of the QBE Specialty and Property & Casualty product portfolios, and the depth of expertise of our specialized and dedicated underwriters.

Richard Pye, Senior Vice President, QBE North America Inland Marine, is responsible for introducing industry-leading products while building QBE North America's Inland Marine business. He also serves as Inland Marine's Product Executive. Prior to joining QBE in mid-2015, Mr. Pye was Senior Vice President, Inland Marine, at Zurich, leading the monoline Inland Marine business in their Global Corporate North America division. Before Zurich, he was the Marine Director for Hanover's Midwest Region, and the Vice President, Marine & Equipment Breakdown at CNA. Mr. Pye retired from the US Air Force Reserve in 1999, after 20 years of service.  

Mr. Pye is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA). His professional designations include Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU); Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC); and Associate in Marine Insurance Management (AMIM). He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Bellevue University, and a Master's degree in Management from Aquinas College.

David Brooks:
David Brooks, Vice President Underwriting, QBE North America Inland Marine, is responsible for growing QBE's Inland Marine business west of the Mississippi. He joined QBE in 2015 from Zurich where he was Assistant Vice President, Inland Marine, and managed a highly profitable domestic and global book of business, while growing relationships with global brokerages and large regional retail firms.  Mr. Brooks also serves as the Secretary of the IMUA Pacific Coast Advisory Committee.  Prior to his tenure with Zurich, Mr. Brooks also held senior underwriting roles with CNA, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Lockton Insurance Brokers, and CIBA Insurance Services. He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. 

Bruce Pichon:
Bruce Pichon, Vice President Underwriting, QBE North America Inland Marine, is responsible for Inland Marine business development in the West. Mr. Pichon joined QBE recently from XL Catlin where he was the Regional Inland Marine Manager for the Western Zone, responsible for building a profitable book of Inland Marine business. Over his 30 year underwriting career, he held marine management positions with Starr Companies, Allianz, CNA and Navigators. Mr. Pichon was also the President of the Marine Underwriters of Southern California from 1998-1999 and is currently serving in the role of Education Chairman for the IMUA Pacific Coast Advisory Committee.   

Joseph Bielawski:
Joseph Bielawski, Vice President Underwriting, QBE North America Inland Marine, is responsible for underwriting and production activities for both the Eastern and Midwest regions.

Mr. Bielawski joined QBE in late 2015 from Zurich, where he was the Assistant Vice President, Marine Central Region, leading underwriting and production of the Central and Great Lakes regions. He also held senior marine underwriting roles with Navigators Inland Marine, Colemont/AmWins and Wm H. McGee/Fireman's Fund. Mr. Bielawski holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from DePaul University, and has also served as Chairman and Vice Chairman on the Midwest Advisory Committee of the Inland Marine Underwriters Association.

About QBE
QBE North America is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. QBE NA reported Gross Written Premiums in 2015 of $4.6 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2015 results can be found at www.qbena.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 43 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at www.qbena.com, or follow QBE North America on Twitter.

SOURCE QBE

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