Markel Insurance has appointed Matthew Stock as head of fine art & specie for Australia, effective immediately, marking the insurer's formal entry into the fine art and specie segment in the Australian market.
The hire signals a deliberate expansion of Markel's specialty underwriting footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. The new offering will support broker partners in identifying complex risks across a full range of fine art products, including personal collections, jewelry collectors, corporate collectors, dealers and galleries, specie, jewelers' block, and cash in transit.
The Australia launch follows the recent international appointment of Danny O'Donoghue as head of fine art & specie for Markel's London operations, reflecting the insurer's broader push to build out a globally coordinated fine art and specie capability across key markets.
Stock is based in Sydney and will report to Tim Wills, Markel's head of marine in Australia. He brings three decades of industry experience and is regarded as one of the leading fine art and specie underwriters in the Asia-Pacific region. He joins from 360 Underwriting Solutions, where he served as executive director of fine art & specie. Prior to that, he held senior roles in the same specialty at Quantum Underwriting Agencies, Talbot Risk Services, Chubb, and XL Catlin.
In his new role, Stock will work alongside Markel's international fine art and specie colleagues to identify collaborative opportunities, improve broker service levels, and drive profitable underwriting growth.
Wills said the appointment is a meaningful step in the evolution of the company's strategy in Australia.
