Pen Underwriting simplifies divisional structure to underpin growth ambitions across UK & Ireland
Published On : 05 Feb 2025
Pen Underwriting today announced a simplified divisional structure to bring together core commercial underwriting capabilities and expertise across the UK and Ireland, for the benefit of its brokers and to support its plans for strategic regional growth.
Under the central leadership of Sarah Breslin as Managing Director of the new Commercial UK & Ireland division, Pen has brought together teams which offer a diverse range of highly specialist and risk-managed commercial insurance – across property, casualty, fleet and financial lines.
The structural change follows the geographic expansion of Pen into Ireland last year, with the acquisition of Wexford-based haulage and transportation specialist Wrightway Underwriting in June, which creates a platform to develop and distribute new products into the Irish market and vice versa.
It also follows Richard Webb’s decision, as MD of UK Financial Lines & Specialty Liability, to retire from the industry after a career spanning almost 40 years, which began at General Accident before leadership positions at Hiscox, HCC, Manchester Underwriting Management and Pen. Richard will leave Pen later this year.
Commenting on the changes, Tom Downey, Chief Executive Officer of Pen Underwriting, said: “As a result of bringing Wrightway into the Pen family and establishing our first on-the-ground presence in Ireland, we redoubled our focus on how best to grow and expand our business on a more regional basis across the UK and Ireland. Richard’s decision to hang up his ‘work boots’ gave rise to a natural opportunity to create a more unified commercial division that brings together all our complementary risk management and underwriting specialisms.
“Having already been leading on Wrightway’s integration into the Pen family, as part of her role as MD of our Specialty division, Sarah is ideally placed to lead the enlarged, combined Commercial division to deliver what brokers and their customers need, when and where they need it. I would also like to thank Richard for everything he has done for Pen and the wider industry. His breadth of experience, market knowledge, sector collaboration and divisional leadership have been of great benefit to Pen and leave his specialist teams in a strong position to continue their consistent growth and evolution under Sarah’s leadership.”
Sarah Breslin added: “I’m excited to lead this combined team as we head into 2025, prioritising the breadth and depth of our product offering across our UK office network and into the Republic of Ireland. Bringing together all our commercial underwriting expertise will provide broker partners with an even stronger service and solution proposition, as we reinforce our regional focus. Our aim is to make it easier for brokers to navigate our full range of risk and insurance solutions to ensure we are always delivering the best value for their customers.”
Pen now has four trading divisions: Commercial – UK & Ireland; SME & Personal Lines; International; and Public Sector. The new structure brings together the previous Specialty and UK Financial Lines & Specialty Liability divisions. All product and regional leads within the new Commercial UK & Ireland division, and their specialist teams, remain unchanged.
