Westfield Specialty International has expanded its casualty offering with the launch of a UK and Europe liability portfolio. The firm has appointed two former Everest underwriters to lead it.
Keith Knight joins as class underwriter and Andy Skinner as deputy class underwriter. Both moved to Westfield Specialty in April from Everest, where they had held senior casualty roles.
Skinner most recently served as head of UK and Ireland casualty at Everest.
The new portfolio will underwrite a broad range of liability risks across multiple jurisdictions and legal environments. It builds on Westfield Specialty’s establishment of company market operations in Luxembourg at the end of 2025, part of a deliberate move to give brokers an alternative route to its existing Lloyd’s capacity.
The European push is backed by strong financials. At the time of the Luxembourg announcement, the firm had reported GWP of $1.4 billion for the first nine months of 2025. The combined ratio stood at 89.9%, with underwriting income of $92 million.
Ross MacDonald, divisional director for casualty and portfolio, said the firm has the appetite and capacity to take on new risks.
“At Westfield, we have the appetite and capacity to take on new risks to grow our book, and the launch of the UK and Europe liability portfolio is a key step in that strategy,” he said.
MacDonald said the aim is to build a portfolio that balances profitability with disciplined risk selection. He said that starts with investing in the right people.
“Keith and Andy are highly experienced figures in the market, with deep technical expertise, a track record of high-quality service, and the ability to build productive, long-term relationships with brokers and clients,” MacDonald said.
“This makes them ideally placed to lead this portfolio as we diversify into geographies that traditionally sit outside Lloyd’s, providing greater flexibility to our broking partners.”
The appointments reflect a broader pattern of hiring across the firm. Westfield Specialty has added underwriting teams across multiple lines in recent months, including a cyber team that began writing business in January 2026.
The portfolio launch comes as the firm continues to build financial momentum. Westfield Specialty reported GWP of $559 million for the first quarter of 2026, up 31% year on year. The combined ratio of 95.7% came in ahead of internal expectations despite a more active loss environment during the period.
The firm launched its specialty strategy in 2021 and now operates underwriting hubs in the US, London, Dubai and Luxembourg.
