Geo Underwriting has announced a new capacity partnership with Intact Insurance for its specialist marine trade proposition, with the arrangement set to take effect on May 1, 2026.
The managing general agent (MGA) said the collaboration is intended to expand its trading capability in the specialist industrial marine space, offering brokers more competitive solutions as the market continues to evolve.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of heightened volatility in global shipping. War-risk premiums for transits through the Red Sea surged from around 0.3% of a vessel’s insured value to as high as 0.7%, with two vessels struck by Houthi drones, missiles, and explosive boats in early July 2025. The disruption has intensified demand for specialist capacity and underwriting discipline in the commercial maritime sector.
Geo said brokers will retain access to its existing products and claims service, while gaining what the company described as greater clarity when placing commercial and industrial maritime risks, alongside more competitive pricing and coverage options.
The partnership comes roughly two years after Geo acquired Navigators & General, the 120-year-old pleasure craft specialist, in 2024. Geo said both entities will maintain their separate identities while combining strengths under a refreshed proposition for the marine trade market.
Kate Bush (pictured), trading director at Geo Underwriting, said Intact’s credentials made it the right fit for the arrangement. She noted that Intact’s understanding of Geo’s underwriting requirements would allow the MGA to preserve the qualities that define its offering to brokers.
“Intact already operates successfully within this highly specialised insurance market and the team’s clear insight into Geo’s underwriting requirements and commitment to fully supporting the development of our proposition gives us the autonomy required to continue to deliver the unique attributes that underpin Geo’s value to brokers; namely our own wordings, our defined underwriting appetite, and our specialist claims propositions,” she said.
Steve Hedge, vice president of delegated authority, marine, at Intact Insurance, said market conditions made the partnership timely. “In a market where consistency of capacity and underwriting discipline are increasingly important, this partnership with Geo allows us to support brokers with a more stable and specialist marine offering,” Hedge said.
