QBE Opens Toronto Office for Commercial Business

QBE said it's opening an office in Toronto for the Canadian commercial business it writes through Lloyd's.

QBE said it's written specialty commercial business in Canada for 30 years. Led by General Manager David Edgar, QBE's team in Toronto will develop new business from the Canadian market, while providing a local support and claims handling service for brokers and clients on all QBE's Canadian business, which will continue to be underwritten through Lloyd's.

The business had been underwritten from London.

Edgar was based in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto as a broker with Aon for the past 27 years before joining QBE as general manager in February 2009, a company spokeswoman said.

Chris Gudgeon, business development manager, has been based in London for more than 30 years as a London market broker specializing in Canadian business. Gudgeon joined QBE a year before moving to Canada to help set up the new office.

Darren Goldman, claims manager, was with QBE for six years before moving to Canada in August 2009 to set up the claims operation.

QBE said it provides commercial insurance products to the Canadian market, including general liability; professional liability; financial lines; marine, marine energy and inland marine; construction all risks; aviation; kidnap and ransom; political risks and terrorism; and bloodstock and livestock.

The company said it is looking to expand its offering to the Canadian insurance market and, particularly, to increase its errors and omissions business in the small to medium enterprise market.

About 25% of all Lloyd's casualty business in Canada is written by QBE, the company said.

In April, QBE Insurance Group said it agreed to acquire NAU Country Insurance Co., the third-largest crop insurer in the United States, for $565 million. The acquisition marked QBE's entrance into the U.S. crop insurance market (BestWire, April 16, 2010).

QBE Insurance Corp. currently has a Best's Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent).

(By Meg Green, senior associate editor, BestWeek: [email protected])