Eighty-five per cent (85%) of architects and engineers professional liability carriers reported increasing claims severity in 2025, driven by social inflation, claim settlement length, tariffs, economic uncertainty and a rise in bodily injury claims, according to WTW's 2026 marketplace outlook for the segment. Third-party bodily injury claims on large infrastructure projects have led some carriers to reduce their appetite for that exposure altogether. Into that environment, Sedgwick has appointed Graeme Holland (pictured) as specialty technical lead for Sedgwick Delegated Authority in Canada - a hire that pairs Lloyd's delegated authority claims experience with technical depth in exactly the professional liability segment where Canadian underwriting appetite is under the most pressure.
Holland's background spans professional liability for architects, engineers, land surveyors, accountants and financial advisors, alongside major infrastructure projects across transportation, healthcare and mass transit in both the Canadian and London markets. He brings experience across construction, cyber, casualty and complex claims management, with a track record in strategic coverage analysis, litigation and arbitration support and technical team mentoring.
The appointment builds on Sedgwick's Canadian delegated authority expansion in September 2025, which brought enhanced Lloyd's delegated authority services into the domestic market drawing on Sedgwick's global experience as an approved delegated claims administrator for Lloyd's-backed MGAs, coverholders and syndicates. More than 33% of Lloyd's premium income is now sourced through delegated underwriting arrangements per the Lloyd's Market Association - giving claims capabilities built to serve that channel specific commercial weight for insurers writing into Canada through MGAs and coverholders.
Lloyd's has simultaneously tightened its oversight of the delegated authority ecosystem. Updated retrospective endorsement guidance took effect in April 2026, and managing agents remain required to notify Lloyd's of any issues arising from a delegation of underwriting or claims handling authority to a third party. That tighter oversight makes the quality of the delegated claims administrator more consequential for MGAs and coverholders seeking to preserve capacity access - a dynamic that reinforces the case for technical claims depth over generalist administration.
Nearly 38,000 architect and engineer businesses operate in Canada, all carrying broadly similar professional liability exposures. With rates holding mostly steady even as severity grows and some carriers selectively reducing infrastructure bodily injury appetite, technical claims expertise capable of managing complex professional liability matters without triggering further capacity withdrawal becomes a specific competitive differentiator for MGAs and coverholders operating in the segment.
Paul Burns, vice president of Sedgwick Delegated Authority Canada, said Holland's technical expertise and proven ability to navigate complex liability matters would strengthen Sedgwick's capability to deliver specialised expertise to domestic and Lloyd's clients. Holland said the appointment was an opportunity to build on Sedgwick's established delegated authority foundation as insurers navigate increasingly complex risks requiring responsive technical claims solutions.
Rising severity and more selective underwriting appetite are pushing insurers and MGAs to lean more heavily on technical claims specialists who can help preserve capacity rather than simply retreat from the risk - which is the specific market logic the Holland appointment reflects.
