Endurance Speciality Holdings is to enter the agricultural business reinsurance market.
Its US subsidiary has formed a new underwriting unit to write the business, led by Roger Heckman, formerly of Converium.
The Agribusiness Unit will also include Catherine Besselman, Gregg Evans, William Fischer and Bin Zhang.
The unit would provide traditional reinsurance for crops and livestock, said Endurance, and would focus on the development of speciality yield and revenue products for the agricultural industry.
Heckman, who joins Endurance's US platform as a senior vice president, said: "We are committed to establishing a leadership position in the development of risk transfer products within the agricultural industry. We plan to position ourselves as a responsive, creative, and innovative market.
"Endurance's commitment to market specialisation and focus on the development of superior analytical capabilities are fully consistent with what is critical to achieving success in this segment.
"Our strategy and ability to execute, combined with the financial strength of Endurance, will serve our clients and brokers very well."
