HDI-Gerling has assembled an underwriting team led by industry veterans at its new Melbourne office, which opened today.

The German industrial insurer says the branch will focus on property, liability and marine.

Daryl La Fontaine is the new Property Underwriting Manager Southern Region. He has 20 years’ industry experience and was previously CGU’s property mid-market manager for Victoria, Tasmania and SA.

Matthew Wuiske, previously Ace’s casualty manager for Australia and New Zealand, is the Liability Underwriting Manager Southern Region.

A Marine Underwriting Manager Southern Region and a senior risk engineer will start work in the Melbourne office next month.

“Our new office forms an integral part of our strategy to expand our well-established business model in industrial insurance to a larger audience of corporate customers,” HDI-Gerling Australasia MD Stefan Feldmann said.