Novatae Risk Group, the wholesale insurance business of World Insurance Associates, has appointed Brian Voorhees (pictured) as managing director of personal lines.
In the newly created role, Vorhees will lead Novatae's personal lines portfolio with responsibility for setting strategic direction, driving growth and delivering operational and financial performance. He will oversee the expansion of product offerings, work to strengthen carrier and broker partnerships and guide the development of underwriting and placement capabilities to support scalable, client-focused growth.
Voorhees is an insurance executive with experience across underwriting, business development, product management, and operations. Most recently, he directed day-to-day operations for Applied Home National Underwriters, where he led underwriting strategy, growth initiatives, broker relationships, and a nationwide team serving the high-net-worth market.
Before that, he was vice president of business development at NatGen Premier, managing a $750 million portfolio and helping to launch the organization’s mass affluent and high-net-worth segments. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at ACE Private Risk Services and Chubb Personal Insurance, after starting out as an independent agent across personal and commercial lines.
"Brian's depth of experience and leadership across underwriting, operations and distribution make him an outstanding addition to our organization," said Nick Greggains, president of Novatae. "His strategic mindset and proven ability to scale platforms while maintaining underwriting integrity align perfectly with our vision for continued growth and excellence."
The appointment comes at a time when wholesale and E&S personal lines are playing a larger role in placing complex and high-value risks, particularly in high-net-worth homeowners and catastrophe-exposed segments. Retail agents are increasingly turning to specialist intermediaries and MGAs to access capacity and tailored coverage for affluent and mass affluent clients, as standard markets reassess appetite in some geographies and occupancies.
Against that backdrop, Novatae’s decision to create a dedicated managing director role for personal lines signals an effort to build out a more structured proposition for brokers in this space, with an emphasis on data-led underwriting, product differentiation, and service.
Voorhees’ background across both underwriting and distribution in high-net-worth and specialty personal lines positions him to shape that offering and support retail partners navigating a market where capacity, pricing, and risk selection remain under close scrutiny.
