Chief underwriter joins from rival carrier Lancashire and was previously a broker at Guy Carpenter.
OAK Re has appointed James Irvine as its property chief underwriting officer (CUO) .
Joining in Spring 2025, the company said, he will report directly to Cathal Carr, chief executive officer and active underwriter of OAK syndicate 2843.
In his new role Irvine will lead the development of OAK Re’s property offering, “a cornerstone of the company’s growth and leadership strategy”, the Lloyd’s reinsurer said.
Cathal Carr said: “OAK Re’s vision is to establish a leading global reinsurance franchise at Lloyd’s, driven by industry-leading talent, underpinned by cutting-edge risk insights, and backed by long-term investors.”
Irvine has close to 20 years of experience, having begun his career at Guy Carpenter before joining Lancashire in 2010, where OAK Re said he was pivotal in building its treaty portfolio.
He later advanced to become group chief underwriting officer, reinsurance. At Lancashire, Irvine oversaw underwriting operations across Bermuda and Lloyd’s.
Carr added: “Appointing James reflects this vision: it is another important step in continuing to build a team that leads from the front as the business grows.”
Irvine’s appointment comes a week after OAK Re announced Lloyd’s approval to launch Syndicate 2843.
The new syndicate launches with blue chip capital providers including Bain Capital and Hampden Agencies, the largest provider of private capital to Lloyd’s.
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