OVERVIEW
Our Story
Horace Underwriting was established to specialise solely in energy insurance.
The reason for establishment is a belief amongst the team that such a large and technically complex business sector deserves and needs committed specialists, with the requisite expertise, working with business partners to address clients’ needs.
This is particularly so in recent years, and is likely to increase in the years going forward, as clients play their part in transitioning to a less Greenhouse Gas (GHG) intensive future. We are here to support clients through this transition as their business mix evolves, whilst recognising that it needs to be an evolution rather than a revolution.
There has rarely been such change occurring in the energy world in living memory. The pressures for change come from many directions. To name but a few, technological innovation, geopolitical, economic and environmental changes are all everchanging and an incidental effect are changes in risk that clients are now presented with.
We look to help clients with the assessment and transfer of these risks.
We conduct ourselves with these values
This is the key.
We are always available to serve our clients and their representatives.
We act in a professional way in how we conduct business. We strive to be fair and truthful in all of our interactions.
As small specialists we can respond quickly to changes in both the client and market developments.
Chris Charlton
CEO
Chris has over 30 years experience in the insurance market and in the energy sector. He has managed large lead energy portfolios at very large companies including Hannover Re and Swiss Re. He also ran an insurance company at the retail end of the business and therefore understands the complete chain of carriers and intermediaries and the value created by each. For the last 9 years he has been CUO, Head of Energy and Managing Director of London for Barents Re.
Chris Keen
Underwriter
Chris has 9 years experience in the energy insurance market all of which has been at Barents Re whom he joined directly after graduation. He has written upstream, midstream and downstream business and represented Barents on the LMA Non-Marine energy committee. Chris was additionally involved in preparing the information for the placement of the reinsurance programme as well as participating in meetings with the reinsurers.
Lilly Edgerton
Underwriting Assistant
After recently returning from Canada where she lived for 9 years, Lilly started her insurance career in reinsurance as an Underwriting Assistant. She moved to the energy market in August 2023 working with Horace. Lilly is currently working towards completing her ACII qualification.
Katie Buckland
Underwriting Assistant
Graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2021 with a First in BSc Mathematics, Katie joined Horace in August 2023 as an Underwriting Assistant. This is her first role in the London Insurance Market, having worked in hospitality management after graduating. She is currently studying for her ACII qualification.
John Cavanagh
Chairman
John has had a 45-year career in the global insurance market. He retired as Global CEO of Willis Re at the end of 2017, where he was responsible for Willis Re’s worldwide operations. Prior to joining Willis in 2009, John was joint CEO at international specialty reinsurance broker RK Carvill. John started his career in 1975 the North American reinsurance division at Willis, Faber and Dumas.
Jonathan Gormley
Global Head of Claims, Syndicate 4242
Jonathan has 30 years experience handling claims in the Lloyd’s market, across multiple lines of business. Jonathan has headed up the Lloyd’s claims response on some of the market’s largest events. Prior to joining Beat, Jonathan spent 8 years at AEGIS London as Deputy Head of Claims. Jonathan co-chaired the LMA Delegated Authority Claims Group and received the LMA award for claims contribution to the market in 2019.
Matt Nicholas
Senior Claims Adjuster, Syndicate 4242
Matt has 25 years experience handling claims in the Lloyd’s market, with a focus on 1st party and binding authority claims. Prior to joining Beat, Matt spent 9 years at AEGIS London as Property Claims Manager. Matt is a member of the LMA Delegated Authority Claims Group.
Katie Baker
Executive Assistant
Katie has had a 15+ year career in the London insurance market. Until 2017, Katie worked at a Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. subsidiary, NewLine, as a personal assistant. Prior to this, Katie held the positions of Personal Assistant to Portfolio Directors and Underwriting Assistant for Financial Institutions at Brit Insurance.
