Underwriter Kurt Nilsen has started his own business, Lion Underwriting, based in Sydney.

Lion is an authorised representative of NAS Insurance Brokers and becomes NAS’ first underwriting agency.

“We will be looking at mutual opportunities,” Mr Nilsen told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“Being aligned with NAS puts us in a good, solid environment and provides us with great opportunities within the network. [NAS] has got growth plans and we look forward to growing with it, but we are also interested in other opportunities.

“We’d like to grow to be a reasonable-size agency within the next couple of years. We intend to be a serious player in the agency space.”

Mr Nilsen believes being a Lloyd’s coverholder for the past 10 years “should open doors, in the London market in particular”.

NAS MD James How has welcomed the partnership, which he says “further signifies the growth and maturing of our business model”.

Mr Nilsen has extensive experience as an underwriter and insurance marketing executive, and is a director of the Underwriting Agencies Council.

Most recently he was marketing and development manager at Brisbane-based Specialist Underwriting Agencies. He was previously senior liability underwriter with ASR Underwriting Agencies and MD of Australian Professional Underwriting Agencies.