Exclusive: RSUM adds RB Jones’ Engel to lead marine and energy MGUs

By Chris Munro Feb 20 - (The Insurer) - Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers (RSUM) has added to its senior ranks with the hire of RB Jones’ senior vice president and managing director Mark Engel. In his new role, Engel will be tasked with overseeing the operations of RSUM’s seven marine and energy-focused MGUs. Those seven MGAs are believed to be renewable energy and power-focused trio Albus, PerSE and PerSE International, along with upstream energy specialist Global Special Risks. The group also includes Castel Netherlands, Trident Marine Managers and YachtPod Risk Partners. Sources familiar with the situation said Engel left RB Jones in late January, and will begin his new role at RSUM before the end of this month. Ryan Specialty subsidiary RSUM describes itself as “a specialty underwriting business consisting of a number of specialty property and casualty managing general underwriters”. “Each MGU provides specialty expertise in distinct challenging market niches,” it states. Engel’s arrival is the latest senior appointment Miles Wuller-led RSUM has made in recent months. In December, RSUM announced the hire of Shawn Yingling from AIG as its chief retail distribution officer. Earlier that month, the platform announced that London-based Mark Birrell and James Montgomery had been appointed executive chairman and CEO of RSUM International, respectively. In October last year, RSUM International brought in Graeme Rayner from Aon as CUO, while it also drafted in Coverys Europe’s Ben Purkiss as head of business development. Vicky Lefevre moved over from MSIG UK as senior vice president and head of HR. Also in October, RSUM promoted Eric Quinn to executive vice president – capital and product strategy, while Brian Lillis moved up to executive vice president – finance and corporate development. Former EY and Plymouth Rock Assurance executive Thom Cranel also joined RSUM on a full-time basis in October as chief operating officer. Engel’s move to RSUM brings his close-to six years at HW Kaufman Group-owned RB Jones to an end. Engel had joined RB Jones in 2019 from ProSight Specialty Insurance to lead the then marine-focused MGA as it embarked on an expansion drive to broaden its footprint into new market segments. In the years since, under Engel’s leadership RB Jones has entered a host of new lines of business, with the MGA now writing around 14 programs across the property, marine and energy, professional and specialty markets. Those programs include the new motor truck cargo coverage that RB Jones recently launched, and which is led by former Axa XL CUO for marine in the Americas Mike Perrotti who joined the MGA late last year. Prior to joining ProSight in 2016 as program executive for marine and offshore energy, Engel spent eight years at AIG, latterly as CUO – ocean and inland marine, Americas. Before joining AIG, Engel was at Marsh for six years. At the time of publication, Ryan Specialty and RB Jones had not responded to a request for comment.