APRA-regulated insurer Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) has expanded in the Australian underwriting agency market by signing a multiyear partnership with Haven Underwriting, a new agency providing commercial cover. 

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Haven Underwriting,” MSI Oceania COO Hajime Takeda said.

“This is part of our broader strategy and our continued commitment to the Australian insurance market, focusing on differentiated offering in terms of people, products, technology, distribution and fulfillment.”

Haven Underwriting has been founded by Barnaby Williams, who was most recently GM of Guild Insurance’s intermediated brand Acerta, and who has more than 24 years of underwriting experience.

“I am very excited to be in partnership with MSI, a business whose roots go back more than 350 years, with almost 60 of those years being a regulated insurer here in Australia,” Mr Williams said.

“Through this partnership, Haven Underwriting will bring its broker partners new, A+ rated capacity (AM Best and Standard & Poor’s) for commercial insurance risks. As an independently owned Australian underwriting agency, Haven will deliver local underwriting expertise backed by the latest risk assessment technology and underpinned by local insurer claims handling.”

Haven Underwriting begins operations today, launching with industrial special risk property insurance and with more products to follow in the coming months.

It is a corporate authorised representative of Iffinity, an underwriting agency investment and services business.