Santam Syndicate 1918 has made two senior appointments to support expansion into international motor and property, marking the syndicate's first move into international motor as a standalone class since it began underwriting at Lloyd's on January 1, 2026.
Neil Smith (pictured, left) joins to lead the new international motor portfolio. His remit covers underwriting strategy, portfolio development, and broker and coverholder relationships across international territories. Stephen Kiedish (pictured, right) has been appointed senior underwriter within the property team, with a brief to develop and diversify the property portfolio.
When Syndicate 1918 launched, its initial class list covered property, marine, energy, political violence and terrorism, financial institutions, professional indemnity and cyber - a deliberately specialty-focused book reflecting Santam's stated FutureFit2030 strategy of using Lloyd's as a scalable platform for international growth and diversification. International motor was notably absent from that initial list, making Smith's hire the first expansion of the syndicate's underwriting scope since launch rather than an incremental addition to an existing line.
The timing lines up with the structure of the wider Lloyd's market the syndicate is now leaning into. Delegated underwriting, the model international motor typically relies on through coverholder arrangements, accounts for approximately 45% of Lloyd's total premium income - a well-established distribution channel rather than an experimental one. For a syndicate still in its first year of operation, building a motor portfolio on that established coverholder infrastructure offers a faster route to scale than building a direct-underwriting book from scratch, while Lloyd's own 2026 market messaging has emphasized selective, quality-driven appetite for new delegated business over rapid volume growth - the same discipline Smith's background in delegated authority and portfolio management across multiple jurisdictions is suited to.
Sam Geddes, chief executive of Santam Syndicate 1918, said both appointments were intended to strengthen the syndicate's underwriting depth across its classes of business. "They bring exceptional technical capability, strong market reputations, and extensive experience within their respective classes of business," he said.
Smith brings more than 30 years of international motor underwriting experience. At Volante Global, he served as managing director of international motor and built specialist motor portfolios and delegated underwriting solutions across multiple markets. Before that, he held senior motor underwriting positions at QBE Insurance, Ensign Motor Policies, and Torch Motor Policies. His background spans delegated authority business, portfolio management, and complex motor risks across multiple jurisdictions. International motor covers commercial and private motor risks written outside the insurer's home territory, typically placed through delegated underwriting arrangements with coverholders.
Kiedish joins with more than 20 years of industry experience. His most recent role was managing director of affinity solutions at Volante Global Syndicate 1699, where he oversaw affinity business development and management. He has previously held senior underwriting positions at Sportscover, ProSight Syndicate 1110, AEGIS London Syndicate 1225, and QBE Europe, and began his career at RSA. The property hire follows the earlier appointment of Nigel Tatlock, a 40-year market veteran, as head of property earlier this year, extending a build-out of the property team that began well before this latest hire.
Santam Syndicate 1918 is part of the Santam Group, Africa's largest non-life insurer, which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The syndicate described the appointments as consistent with a strategy of expanding specialist underwriting capabilities across additional lines.
