Munich Re Specialty will launch a dedicated property, construction and engineering underwriting team in Australia in the second half of 2026, with industry veteran Bob Algie appointed to lead the new division.
The move, announced by Chris Mackinnon, head of Munich Re Specialty for Australia via LinkedIn, marks an expansion of the group’s underwriting capabilities in the country as it seeks to broaden its specialty market offering.
Algie joins the business with more than 20 years of experience in property underwriting and portfolio management across insurers and underwriting agencies. He will move from QBE where he has been serving as head of property, energy and marine since 2025.
Prior to this, he has held a number of senior underwriting leadership positions at QBE, including head of industry verticals for property, liability and fleet, interim head of underwriting for marine and logistics, and head of property. He also spent more than four years as national commercial property portfolio specialist within QBE’s AUSPAC chief underwriting office.
The appointment and launch of the new team aligns with Munich Re’s broader growth ambitions. In the new five-year plan, announced in December last year, the reinsurer identified speciality insurance, alongside life and health, and Asia Pacific—specifically China—as key strategic growth areas for the business.
