Zurich Australian Insurance has forged a new deal with underwriting agency AFA Insurance to act as security for its accident and health (A&H) policies, effective Jan. 01.

Tim Plant, CEO General Insurance of Zurich Australia and New Zealand, said the partnership with the well-established and market-leading A&H underwriting specialist is closely aligned to its go-to-market underwriting strategy.  

The agreement, focussed on mid-market and SME customers, will use AFA’s insurtech platform, eBIND, and the A&H underwriting expertise of both parties, ensuring Zurich “can provide A&H customer solutions for every business size and structure,” the insurer said in a statement.

“We identified a gap in our A&H offering, and our AFA agreement complements our in-house A&H offering by providing a solution for a larger overall segment of our customers,” said Sean Walker, chief underwriting officer of Zurich Australia and New Zealand. “As one of the leading A&H insurers globally, we are delighted to share our insights and experience in this line of business. We each have a strong track record and a complementary set of core strengths to ensure success.”

“We are looking forward to working with Zurich, an experienced A&H insurer, and to leverage Zurich’s strong in market distribution offering to profitably grow our portfolio, whilst ensuring that our product is customer and broker focused,” said David Porter, managing director of AFA.