Neon has appointed Jeremy Cooke as its contingency underwriter, the Lloyd’s carrier has announced.

In his new role, Cooke will be responsible for establishing Neon’s name in the event cancellation market, an area previously written on an opportunistic basis.

Before joining Neon, Cooke most recently served as head of contingency at Barents Re and has previously held underwriting roles at the likes of ProSight Specialty Insurance and Chubb. He began his career at Hiscox.

Neon said it wants to build a refreshed proposition and portfolio offering, with continued progress being made across the business.

In the first quarter of this year, Neon launched the UK’s first ILS vehicle and expanded both its political and credit risk and M&A insurance teams.

Commenting on the appointment, chief underwriting officer (CUO) at Neon, Darren Lednor said: “We have made strong progress in consolidating our existing portfolio and this has given us an excellent platform from which to expand into new lines. Neon is a dynamic business and we are committed to attracting fresh, experienced talent as we continue to grow.”

“I am pleased to welcome Jeremy to Neon and look forward to him helping us establish a market-leading contingency offering.”