Antares has tapped John Taylor as its new head of specialty.

Taylor joins the Lloyd’s carrier from CNA Hardy, where he most recently led the firm’s specialty business.

He replaces Kieran Oliver, who is retiring from Antares after nearly two decades with the carrier. Taylor will report to Antares active underwriter Joe Battle.

Taylor began his insurance career as a broker at Willis, before turning his hand to underwriting with Chubb, where he spent nine years. After that, he went on to hold a range of senior roles at CNA Hardy during a 12-year tenure, including chief underwriting officer (CUO), European financial lines manager and UK financial lines manager. He became head of speciality in 2015.

Battle said: “Specialty is a key focus at Antares, and our team has gone from strength to strength under Kieran’s guidance in recent years. He has made a lasting impact on our team and I would like to thank him for his years of dedicated service.”

“John is a worthy successor to Kieran’s legacy and we have ambitious plans for the business. We see significant growth opportunities in the segment and John’s experience and understanding of the market will be crucial to continuing and further strengthening our market-beating results.”