Artisan Underwriting will add to insurance options for small businesses when it launches next month with backing from Liberty Specialty Markets.

MD Lewis Patton says the agency specialises in covering start-ups, micro-businesses and SMEs, and aims to deliver “a lightning-speed response” for brokers seeking financial lines insurance for such clients. 

“As a small and privately owned Australian business, we’re excited about giving other small businesses a fast and fair deal on insurance,” he said. 

He says the agency is “perfectly positioned” to serve professions that may not receive cover from larger insurers, flagging IT consultants, marketing and graphic designers, management consultants and other multimedia professionals as targets. 

“Some insurers avoid these businesses as the premiums are small and they struggle with efficiencies – that’s where Artisan can offer value and really meet their needs,” Mr Patton said. “We can bring affordable cover tailored to their specific industry, with a very fast response time. Our premiums start from just a few hundred dollars and we can generate our quotes in minutes.”

Capacity will be offered by Liberty, which has agreed a three-year binding arrangement with Artisan for delegated underwriting authority.

Mr Patton says shared approaches are a key factor behind the partnership, noting Liberty’s support will enable Artisan to provide a “wide range of financial and liability products” including professional indemnity, IT liability, combined professional indemnity and management liability.

Liberty Asia-Pacific casualty and professional and financial risks head Marcus Thomas says the partnership “brings a new way for small businesses to access Liberty’s underwriting expertise, and also our highly regarded local claims service”.

“Today, 81 of Australia’s largest companies in the ASX 100 choose to insure with Liberty, and through Artisan we can now welcome some of our country’s smallest hard-working businesses to our client base,” Mr Thomas said.

Mr Patton started his insurance career at Berkley Insurance Australia and has more than 15 years’ experience in financial lines and casualty. He recently held an executive position at Gow-Gates Insurance Brokers and helped establish underwriting agency FTA Insurance in 2017.