Santam Syndicate 1918 has named veteran London market underwriter Nigel Tatlock as head of property (pictured), signalling the new Lloyd's platform's intention to build a meaningful global property book amid shifting market conditions.
Tatlock brings more than 40 years of industry experience to the role, including over 15 years at Liberty Specialty Markets where he most recently served as head of worldwide property. His previous roles include head of London D&F property at XL Re and senior underwriter at Wren Syndicates.
The appointment follows Santam Group securing approval from Lloyd’s of London to launch Syndicate 1918, whose operations began Jan. 1, 2026. The Lloyd's platform extends Santam's reach beyond its core South African and African markets, and provides access to Lloyd's global licences and distribution network, including key territories such as the US.
The syndicate has made strong progress in assembling its underwriting team. Recent appointments in the property division include Briyangha Suthagaran, previously at Atrium and Ascot, and Sam Tierney, previously at Arcadian and Hiscox.
Further hires are expected in the coming months as the syndicate continues to deepen its underwriting capability.
According to Santam, the appointment is the next significant step for the syndicate as it continues to develop its offering at Lloyd's and build out its London presence.
Tatlock will lead the development of a property underwriting team tasked with building a global property book that includes US and international markets on both an open-market and binder distribution basis.
By accessing Lloyd’s global licences and distribution, Syndicate 1918 gives Santam a route to scale in international property risks that are often placed in London, particularly larger industrial, commercial and catastrophe-exposed accounts.
Lloyd’s remains a major hub for such business and a key reference point for capacity and pricing in the global property market. New entrants at Lloyd’s are expected to demonstrate underwriting discipline, a clear risk appetite and robust performance plans, as the market continues to focus on sustainable profitability following several years of remediation.
Tatlock's arrival comes at a point in the cycle where many insurance buyers and brokers are reporting a moderation in commercial property rate increases in several regions after a prolonged hard market driven by large losses, inflation and higher reinsurance costs.
While conditions vary by geography and risk profile, there are signs of increased competition for well-performing risks, particularly outside the most catastrophe-exposed segments.
At the same time, property writers continue to face pressures from secondary perils, climate-related catastrophe risk and higher technical costs of capital, all of which keep underwriting discipline in focus. A new entrant building a property portfolio is likely to be judged on risk selection, pricing adequacy, use of data and analytics, and its approach to volatility management rather than headline premium growth alone.
"I'm looking forward to delivering momentum to the Syndicate's strategic vision, collaborating closely with our international broker partners and clients to build a high quality, globally relevant property portfolio, supported by a talented underwriting team," Tatlock commented.
