People Moves: Specialty MGA Taps Marsh’s Smithson to Head Global Financial Lines and Cyber Division; UIB Names Burns and Wilcox’s Webb as Divisional Director – Binders
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Specialty MGA and United Insurance Brokers (UIB).
A summary of these new hires follows here.
Specialty MGA Taps Marsh’s Smithson to Head Global Financial Lines and Cyber Division
Specialty MGA, a dedicated MGA platform that is part of MNK Group, has appointed Marcus Smithson as head of Financial Lines and Cyber, as it continues to scale its international specialty capabilities.
Smithson, based out of the firm’s London office, will lead the existing underwriting team to accelerate the development of its global financial lines and cyber portfolio. He will oversee a growing a diversified book, including key areas such as directors & officers (D&O), financial institutions professional indemnity (FI PI), and bankers blanket Bond (BBB).
He brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial lines sector and joins from a senior role in the financial institutions team at Marsh. His experience spans nearly a decade at Generali in São Paulo, during which he established and led its Latin American financial lines and cyber portfolio. Earlier in his career he held a series of underwriting and portfolio management roles at QBE in London.
His appointment forms part of Specialty MGA’s broad and continued growth strategy, with a focus on building differentiated portfolios through its flexible MGA model and international distribution network.
“We are delighted to announce Marcus’s arrival. He brings deep underwriting leadership across financial lines and cyber, with proven experience in building international portfolios across complex risk environments,” commented Manoj Kumar, chairman of MNK Group.
“His experience spanning the London Market and Latin America will be instrumental as we expand our global financial institutions and cyber offering,” Kumar added. “This appointment enhances our ability to develop a diversified, technically underwritten portfolio across D&O, professional indemnity, crime and cyber liability lines, and reflects our continued investment in specialist underwriting capability.”
Specialty MGA focuses on lines of business, including but not limited to property, construction, energy, marine, construction, aviation, financial lines, accident & health and surety. It has four global offices based in the UK, Italy, the US, and Morocco.
UIB Names Burns and Wilcox’s Webb as Divisional Director – Binders
United Insurance Brokers (UIB) has appointed Kevin Webb as divisional director – Binders, further strengthening the firm’s capabilities in the transportation and US binder markets.
Webb brings more than 25 years of experience in the insurance market, with a strong track record in North American business and commercial transportation risks. He joins UIB from Burns and Wilcox Global Solutions.
Prior to this, he held roles at Bowood Insurance Brokers and Howden Insurance Brokers, building extensive experience in originating business, developing client relationships, and delivering tailored insurance solutions across complex risk portfolios.
In his new role, Webb will focus on building a high quality US focused binder team, with a particular emphasis on transportation business.
“I am looking forward to the next stage in my professional career within UIB and excited to begin building a binder team that would be well-regarded within the transportation world,” commented Webb. “A key priority will be working towards establishing UIB London as an approved Lloyd’s Coverholder and further developing its US binder proposition.”
Webb’s appointment reflects UIB’s continued investment in its binder operations and growth across key international markets, the company said.
UIB is a global insurance and reinsurance Lloyd’s broker providing specialist solutions across a broad range of industries and geographies. With an expanding international presence—particularly across LATAM and Asia—UIB combines deep local knowledge with global expertise to deliver tailored placement strategies and advanced risk solutions.