Berkshire Hathaway Group’s Specialty Insurance Operation Opens German Office, Makes Executive Appointments in Northern Europe

Business Wire

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI) in coordination with its affiliate Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance Limited (BHIIL), today announced that it has established its office in Düsseldorf, Germany, and filled key executive roles in Northern Europe.

“We are laying the foundation to provide customers throughout Europe with a full line of specialty insurance solutions, backed by BHSI’s industry-leading financial strength and underwriting and claims expertise,” said Gregor Koehler, President, Northern Europe, BHSI. “This is the beginning of our exciting journey to provide long term solutions for customers throughout the region.”

BHSI appointed the following executives to key posts in the Düsseldorf office:

Jörg Bechert, SVP, Head of Executive and Professional Lines, Northern Europe. He was most recently Head of Strategy and Innovation at AON Germany and has almost 30 years of experience in the insurance industry.
Ulrich Kütter, SVP, Head of Marine, Northern Europe. He joins BHSI with almost 25 years of insurance industry experience and was most recently Head of Marine, Central and Eastern Europe at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE.
Leander Metzger, SVP, Head of Property, Northern Europe. He joins BHSI with more than 20 years of insurance industry experience. Most recently he was Director, AFM at FM Insurance Company Limited’s Central European Operation. Leander is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Robert Scherf, VP, Head of Human Resources, Northern Europe. He was most recently Head of Human Resources at Catlin Europe, and brings nearly 30 years of experience to the role.

In addition, BHSI named Ute Huhmann as Executive Assistant, Northern Europe.

“This latest strategic expansion reflects BHSI’s commitment to growing both our global footprint and our worldwide capabilities,” said Peter Eastwood, President and CEO, BHSI. “We look forward to delivering sound insurance solutions for companies throughout the UK and Europe, while continuing to deepen our global team of individuals with standout capabilities and character.”

In March, BHSI announced its intention to offer a specialty insurance solution in Europe, pending regulatory approval. It named Gregor Koehler to lead the company’s efforts in Northern Europe, and Tom Bolt as President, UK and Southern Europe, BHSI.

The new BHSI office in Germany is located at:
Uerdinger Strasse 90
40474 Düsseldorf
Germany
Email: Gregor.Koehler@bhspecialty.com

In Europe, the specialty division will operate as part of Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance Limited (“BHIIL”), an incorporated England and Wales limited liability company, Registration Number 3230337 and Registered Office of 4th Floor, 8 Fenchurch Place, London EC3M 4AJ, United Kingdom. BHIIL is an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (www.bhspecialty.com) (“BHSI”), which provides commercial property, marine, casualty, healthcare professional liability, executive and professional lines, surety, travel, programs, medical stop loss, and homeowner’s insurance programs. BHSI and BHIIL are part of Berkshire Hathaway's National Indemnity group of insurance companies, which hold financial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor's.