Arch Insurance Australia has appointed Andrew Whitlock (pictured) as northern region casualty underwriting manager, with responsibility for casualty underwriting across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland. The appointment is effective immediately.
Based in Sydney, Whitlock will manage underwriting activity and broker engagement for Arch’s northern region casualty portfolio. He will report to Michelle Armstrong, casualty underwriting manager, and will be accountable for portfolio performance and development in the region. Whitlock joins Arch from Chubb, where he most recently served as casualty segment leader for the major accounts division in Australia. He has more than 10 years’ experience in the insurance market across the UK and Australia, including earlier broking roles at Brown & Brown in London before transitioning to underwriting positions.
Arch has identified casualty as a core business line in its Australian operations, with an emphasis on underwriting capability and broker relationships. The new role adds a dedicated regional leadership layer for casualty in the northern states. Armstrong said Whitlock’s appointment is intended to support Arch’s casualty strategy and engagement with intermediaries. “Andrew is an excellent addition to our team, bringing a breadth of technical expertise, underwriting, and leadership experience. His strong reputation and ability to build lasting broker relationships will be key as we continue to grow our relevance across the northern region,” Armstrong said.
Regional manager Dominic Brannigan said the role is part of a broader approach to building out Arch’s casualty presence nationally. “Andrew’s appointment is an important step in the continued development of our casualty portfolio across Australia. As a core line of business for Arch, we’re committed to strengthening our presence in the sector through market-leading talent and solutions that serve brokers and clients across the country,” Brannigan said. For Australian intermediaries, the move comes against a backdrop of tightening casualty conditions, with insurers reassessing pricing, capacity, and programme structure, particularly for higher-hazard liability exposures.
The appointment coincides with trends outlined in WTW’s Insurance Marketplace Realities 2026 and its Fall 2025 Insurance Market Report, which point to firm conditions and ongoing scrutiny across casualty lines. According to WTW, the global property-casualty sector ended 2024 with a combined ratio of 96.6% and an underwriting gain of US$22.9 billion. Within that, casualty performance diverged: general liability recorded an underwriting loss of about US$14 billion and a combined ratio of 121%. Auto liability remained unprofitable, with a combined ratio of 113%, although outcomes showed some improvement compared with the prior year. Workers’ compensation remained a profitable line and helped offset broader liability losses, even as renewal rates continued to decline, albeit at a slower pace.
In the second quarter of 2025 (Q2 2025), general liability renewal rates increased by an average of 4.4%, with a portion of accounts seeing double-digit increases amid concern over emerging risks and large court awards. Auto liability rates rose by 14.9%, marking the 36th consecutive quarter of positive rate movement. Lead umbrella and excess liability pricing also remained firm, with average rate changes above 12%, and more than a quarter of lead umbrella programmes undergoing restructuring due to capacity constraints.
WTW’s analysis notes that insureds are more frequently adjusting programme design to address rising costs and constrained capacity. Approaches include the use of buffer layers, quota-share retentions, captive participation, and other structured risk transfer arrangements, as buyers re-examine retentions, limits, and layering to align with insurer requirements and risk appetite. Underwriting selectivity has increased, including for accounts traditionally seen as lower risk. Litigation developments continue to influence loss trends, with tort expenses estimated to be growing at about 8.7% annually, outpacing economic growth and adding uncertainty for long-tail casualty lines.
Higher reinsurance costs are contributing to greater use of Bermuda and London markets, as well as broker-led facilities, for additional casualty capacity. At the same time, exposures associated with PFAS, glyphosate, talcum powder, sexual abuse and molestation, pandemic-related claims, wildfires, traumatic brain injury, and other mass torts are affecting pricing, coverage terms, and capacity deployment. Organisations exposed to these risks are facing higher retentions, programme restructuring, and tighter coverage. Trade policy changes and tariffs are expected to add complexity to global supply chains and related liability exposures. For insurers and brokers in Australia, these global trends intersect with local claims experience and regulatory settings, placing a premium on underwriting oversight and broker engagement in roles such as Whitlock’s northern region position.
