Arch Insurance and Beazley have both announced senior underwriting changes in the UK market, with new regional leadership roles at Arch and a digital-focused appointment at Beazley.
Arch Insurance UK Regional Division has promoted four branch underwriting leaders to newly created regional underwriting manager positions, effective immediately. The roles are part of the division’s plan to support growth through closer regional coordination and underwriting oversight.
Steve Barlow (pictured above, left) becomes regional underwriting manager for the Midlands & South West, while Andy Coates (pictured above, right) takes responsibility for London & the Home Counties.
Peter Howard has been appointed for the North & Scotland, and Paul Taylor will oversee the South & Thames Valley.
Each of the new managers will report into Arch’s existing regional leadership structure. Barlow reports to Midlands & South West regional manager Ian Grundy, Coates to London & the Home Counties regional manager Tony O’Reilly, Howard to North & Scotland regional manager Janine Starkie, and Taylor to South & Thames Valley regional manager Janice Mullan.
The regional underwriting managers have been tasked with strengthening cross-branch collaboration and providing strategic support to local underwriting teams. The appointments are positioned to align branch activity with broader regional plans and the division’s longer-term growth objectives.
The four appointees have extensive UK market experience. Barlow joined Arch in 2019 from Fusion Insurance, where he was deputy regional underwriting manager, while Coates also moved from Fusion in 2019, having been a regional trading manager.
Howard arrived at Arch in 2019 from Arista Insurance, where he held a regional trading manager role. Taylor joined in 2020 from Simply Business, where he was senior MGA segment manager.
Separately, Beazley has created the role of head of digital follow underwriting and appointed Nat Cross to the position, effective February 1, 2026. He will report to Will Roscoe, head of portfolio underwriting.
Beazley launched its dedicated follow syndicate, Smart Tracker 5623, in 2018 and has been building out its follow underwriting capabilities since then.
The company said that the new role reflects the insurer’s response to a rapidly digitising follow market and the growing use of data and automation in delegated and follow structures.
In his new position, Cross will oversee all algorithmic and digital distribution channels linked to follow business. His responsibilities will include developing broker digital trading strategies and working with intermediary exchanges on new trading opportunities.
Cross previously served as Beazley’s global head of healthcare and oversaw the launch and operation of the firm’s Ki Digital Services partnership. Beazley said it will confirm a new global head of healthcare in due course.
