Business appetite FAQs

Emphasis is on niche business, primarily casualty, specifically GL (auto niche, not heavy wheels-driven) and some professional lines. We do want to write more property (not Cat focused) and inland marine.

Niche underwriting expertise, rating and policy administration, and preferably the systems required to handle all customer facing functions except for claims.

We are targeting rollover programs, generating at least $2 million annually, with at least 3 years of documented experience.

Start-ups are reserved for our existing program administrators with whom we have existing program business.

Call us first. Often, we can determine our underwriting appetite for an opportunity during a brief call. If we get to the next step, we usually request a brief executive outline and a summary of the experience to review. Then, if we believe this is an opportunity on which we can partner, we’ll execute an NDA and request detailed experience and a complete submission.

We are most interested in industries which are not dominated by the standard market and preferably those with a half dozen or fewer competing markets.

We may entertain a captive program, subject to the following conditions:

• Insured captives only
• Must include real risk and genuine transfer
• Existing programs only with minimum premium of $10M
• Minimum of 7-years of documented experience
• Well capitalized, managed, and prepared to collateralize their risk

Many of the legacy businesses within Markel Specialty started out as PAs. Clearly, we understand PAs and the Program Business. Markel Specialty is committed to growing this business profitably with high quality PAs interested in a relationship with Markel Specialty.

We are keen to partner with PAs who are already using analytics for a competitive edge. Are you creatively sourcing data to provide unique and actionable insight to your underwriting process? We are looking for differentiation.