The former president of the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) is reportedly heading to London to lead his company in its new office right at the home of the world’s largest specialist insurance market.
 
Ole Wikborg, the current director of Norwegian Hull Club, will move into the insurer’s new office in Lime Street in early October and begin work by November, according to a report by shipping industry news website Trade Winds.
 
The report said the mutual marine insurer is opening in London with a staff of four. Wikborg will be joined by former RSA hull underwriter Andy Hannay and two others who have yet to sign up.
 
Hanney started in his new role earlier this month and will first spend some time in the insurer’s headquarters in Bergen, Norway.
 
Norwegian Hull Club first announced in February that it will open a London office later this year to improve products, services and business growth while strengthening ties with clients, brokers and industry players who are located in the UK capital.
 
“It therefore makes considerable sense for the Norwegian Hull Club to have a physical presence in this important market,” the company said in a website announcement. “Our broker partners have already welcomed our decision.”
 
The insurer said the opening of the London office is a “major step forward” that will have a “very positive impact” on its service.
 
“We are moving into the London market as we see there is business there we could write. But we won’t be doing anything very different to what we are doing in Norway,” Trade Winds quoted Wikborg as saying.
 
According to Trade Winds, Wikborg’s arrival in the UK capital means there is at least one former IUMI president in the London marine insurance market.
 
Wikborg was also a chairman of the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers, a senior vice president at Zurich and president and CEO of Scandianvian Insurance Managers.

 
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