MGA hires former Wakam head as chief underwriting officer

UK digital insurtech MGA Ripe has appointed David Rowntree as its new chief underwriting officer.

In his new role, Rowntree will be responsible for developing underwriting and pricing across the MGA’s propositions.

He will also lead on developing relationships with insurance partners across new markets and product areas.

His appointment comes following that of Alan Thomas, who succeeded Paul Williams as chief executive on 3 September 2024.

Thomas said: “As the business is scaling and with new capacity coming into Ripe, it is the right time to appoint a chief underwriting officer and we are thrilled that Rowntree will fill this crucial role.

”Along with his impressive track record, Rowntree’s personal style is collaborative whilst working at pace and driving results, which aligns perfectly with our culture.”

In a LinkedIn post today (29 October 2024), Williams added: ”Underwriting is a cornerstone of our success and I am sure this next phase will be in safe hands with the talents, data and technologies within Ripe.”

‘Great fit’

Rowntree has more than two decades of experience in underwriting for multiple insurance firms.

Most recently, he served as the UK and European head of property and SME at digital and embedded insurance firm Wakam.

Prior to this, he was the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) vice president for new products and innovation at Swiss Re.

His career has also seen him work as head of underwriting for private clients at insurer RSA.

Thomas said: “He is a great fit to drive our underwriting strategy forward as we continue to build new products, pursue acquisitions and expand the team.”