HDI Global (HDI) has appointed Scott Aspinall as property underwriting manager in New Zealand, the insurer announced on 15 September.
Based in Auckland, Aspinall spent nearly 16 years with HDI’s UK branch, most recently serving as property manager for its retail portfolio. During his time there, he developed technical expertise in property underwriting and built relationships with brokers and clients across the market. His career has also spanned multiple jurisdictions, giving him international market experience.
In this role, HDI said that Aspinall will be responsible for growing its property portfolio in New Zealand. “He will work closely with colleagues across the business to enhance the company’s property offering and specialty market presence”, the insurer added.
Aspinall’s appointment comes as HDI continues to invest in local underwriting expertise and expand its specialty underwriting capabilities in New Zealand.
Richard Upton, HDI Global Specialty’s New Zealand branch manager and head of financial lines, said, “His extensive property underwriting experience, strong technical capabilities, and proven relationship management skills will be invaluable as we continue to grow our property portfolio and strengthen our specialty presence in the New Zealand market”.
The move follows a series of recent hires and leadership appointments by HDI across the Asia-Pacific region.
In September, HDI expanded its underwriting and distribution leadership with three senior appointments in Hong Kong. The insurer also hired Jasmine Su as senior underwriting service technician for its International Programmes business in Singapore, alongside Augustine Chee and Chan See Kin as political and credit risk underwriters.
As part of its global Xcelerate29 strategy, the insurer is stepping up its push into specialty lines and expanding internationally, including in Southeast Asia.
The insurer reported an 8% rise in first-half insurance service result to EUR 465m (USD 540m) while its combined ratio improved to 90.7% from 91.6%, supported by disciplined underwriting and lower large-loss payments.
